


Behind the Scenes

by canadianpancakes



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Drama, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Jack really needs a hug, M/M, POV Multiple, Physical Abuse, Teens being teens, like cavity inducing fluff, lots of fluff, rhys’ mom is there, tassiter is an asshole but what’s new, timothy and jack are twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2020-04-06 07:12:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19057801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadianpancakes/pseuds/canadianpancakes
Summary: “What’re you in for?” Jack questioned.“Oh, uh,” Rhys licked his lips. “I’m just here to see if it’s okay that I miss a couple of my classes tomorrow to run sound and lights for the play in the auditorium. What are you, uh, in for?”Jack eyed Rhys once more, chuckling as he leaned back in his chair.“I stabbed someone with a fork.”~Rhys works behind the scenes on school plays. He prefers to keep to himself and stay out of the spotlight.Jack gets into a fight every other day, and is well known around the school as the “bad boy.”One day, Jack stumbles into Rhys’ life and changes everything.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have a bad habit of starting fics before finishing my other ones. I’m so sorry. 
> 
> This is very loosely based off of that one tumblr textpost where the person was sent to the office because they stabbed someone with a screwdriver. You know the one.

 Rhys sat in the cold office of his school, his right leg bouncing anxiously against the white tile floor as he waited to speak with the principal. Rhys wasn’t a big fan of going to the school’s office, and he couldn’t say he liked the principal that much either. Principal Tassiter had an undeniable aura of authority surrounding him, and it made Rhys nervous.

 

 Rhys looked at the clock on the corner wall of the office, watching as the hands ticked the time away until it was his turn in the Principal’s office. The office door opening caught his attention, and he turned his head to see a boy walk in, one that Rhys recognized. 

 It was Jack, well known for his short temper and his ability to pick a fight with virtually anyone. He wore a yellow hoodie with the words _Hyperion High School_  across the chest of it. It was covered in patches and snagged in certain areas, giving it a worn down look. His pants were black and ripped to shreds, and the sleeves of his hoodie were rolled up revealing a tattoo on his wrist. He didn’t bother to glance at Rhys as he entered the office.

 Rhys gulped, quickly averting his gaze and looking back at the clock. Jack let the office door shut behind him with a click and he plopped down in the chair next to Rhys. Rhys shifted uncomfortably when he felt Jack’s thigh against his. Jack was leaning back in the chair, his arms slung over the the backs of the chairs beside him. Rhys ignored Jack’s arm behind him. He heard Jack sigh beside him, and glanced at him from the corner of his eyes to find Jack starring directly at him, an eyebrow arched in question. 

 “Hiya, cupcake. You look absolutely friggin terrified,” He leaned forward, his head tilting to the side and a smile forming on his lips as he took in Rhys’ form. “What’re you in for?” He questioned. Rhys cleared his throat. 

“Oh, uh,” Rhys licked his lips. “I’m just here to see if it’s okay that I miss a couple of my classes tomorrow to run sound and lights for the play in the auditorium. What are you, uh, in for?” 

 Jack eyed Rhys once more, chuckling as he leaned back in his chair. 

“I stabbed someone with a fork,” Jack responded, stretching in his chair. Rhys tried to ignore how Jack’s thigh pressed harder against his own as he stretched. 

 Rhys wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that, so he settled for a quiet, “Oh,” then returned to watching the clock. It was possibly the longest ten minutes of his life. 

 Jack, however, didn’t think the conversation was over. 

 “What’s your name, kiddo?” He asked with all the casualty of someone who hadn’t just said he stabbed someone with a fork. Rhys glanced at him, opening his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the door to the principal’s office opening. Rhys turned his head to the office, watching as a student walked out and Principal Tassiter suddenly appeared in the doorway. He locked eyes with Rhys, his eyebrows raising in questioning before he moved to the side and gestured for Rhys to come in. 

 Rhys didn’t think twice before he scrambled up and walked towards the office, refusing to turn and look back at Jack. But he could swear he felt Jack’s stare on him as he walked off. 

 Rhys prayed he wouldn’t run into Jack again. He didn’t want to be the next person Jack stabbed with a fork.

 

~

 

“What brings you to my office today, Rhys?” 

 Tassiter sat in a leather chair behind his sleek, black desk, practically radiating with power. He held the tips of his fingers together, resting them firmly against his lips while his elbows rested on his desk. He stared directly into Rhys’ eyes and Rhys nervously cleared his throat. 

“W… well, sir, I just wanted to make sure that it was okay for me to miss some of my classes tomorrow. To test the lights and sounds for the… uh, play.” 

  Tassiter raised a brow, his eyes studying Rhys. “And why can’t you test it tomorrow _after_ school?” 

 Rhys frowned. “I can’t test them after school because I have to tutor then.” Rhys felt his leg start to bounce again, his nerves on end. He was already nervous enough for the show, so the hesitance in Tassiter’s tone only added to his anxiety. 

 Principal Tassiter hummed in thought, leaning back in his chair as he pushed his glasses up on his nose. 

“You’re not just using the play as an excuse to skip school, are you?” Tassiter questioned, a dangerous edge to his voice. Rhys quickly shook his head. 

“No! No, of course not.” 

 Tassiter squinted his eyes at him, seemingly contemplating Rhys’ request. He drummed his fingers against his desktop, each tap sending a jolt through his nerves. Rhys worried at his lower lip, his eyes darting from Tassiters face to his fingers that continued drumming. 

 They suddenly stopped, and Rhys shot his eyes back up to Tassiter’s face, which held a dangerous smile that was far from friendly. 

 “Fine, you will be excused from your classes tomorrow. I’ll send your teachers an email about it,” Tassiter stood up from his chair, walking around the desk and stopping at the door. Rhys stood up as well, hesitantly stepping towards the door. Tassiter held the door open and gestured for Rhys to leave. As Rhys walked through the door, he felt Tassiter place a hand on his shoulder and froze in place. Tassiter leaned in by Rhys’ ear, a grin plastered on his lips. “Good luck with the play, Mr. Strongfork. I hope everything goes well.” 

 With that, he leaned away, and Rhys scurried out of the office. He heard Tassiter call out to Jack, a mixture of anger and annoyance evident in his voice. Rhys wasn’t able to hear Jack’s response as the door clicked shut behind him, but he could almost guarantee he responded with something that would only get him in more trouble. 

 

~

 

 “Mr. Lawrence,” Tassiter spoke with an angry huff. Jack grinned. 

 “Principal _Stick-up-his-ass_ ,” Jack responded, tilting his head up at the Principal. Tassiter’s nostril’s flared and his eye twitched in anger. Jack’s grin grew. 

 “What did you do this time?” Tassiter asked as Jack stood up and sauntered has way into the principal’s office. Jack plopped down on one of the guest chairs in the office as Tassiter sat in his “throne.” It took all of Jack’s willpower not to roll his eyes. Instead Jack picked up the stapler on the desk, turning it in his hands as he examined it. 

 “I stabbed someone,” Jack responded, opening the stapler wider and clicking down on it to shoot a staple at the bookshelf in the corner. He grinned. “With a fork.” He finished his statement and aimed the stapler to shoot another staple, but his fun was ruined when Tassiter suddenly snatched the stapler out of his grip. 

 “ _Why_ did you do that?” Tassiter asked as he placed the Stapler on the other side of the desk, out of Jack’s reach. Jack frowned, his eyes scanning around the office that he had already committed to memory.

 “Because they called my brother a nerd and it pissed me off,” Jack shrugged as he met Tassiter’s unimpressed stare, 

 “That doesn’t give you the right to _stab_ them,” Tassiter responded. “That just means more paperwork for me to fill out. Do you have _any_ idea how long accident reports are?” Tassiter sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up in the process. 

 “I have no patience or tolerance for delinquents like you. What is this? The third time this week you’ve been in here?” Tassiter asked. Jack blinked but didn’t respond. 

“You’re on thin ice, Mr. Lawrence.” 

 Jack did roll his eyes at that, because he had heard that a million times before, but Tassiter still hadn’t done anything. Jack was all too familiar with dentention, but it never got worse than that. Most likely because while Jack did tend to get in trouble, his grades were still good.   

 

“So you’ve said before,” Jack responded, his foot tapping idly on the floor. Tassiter’s lip twitched. 

 “I’m suspending you for three days. Another accident like this and you _will_ be expelled.”

Jack stared in disbelief only for a moment before shaking his head. He couldn’t be suspended for three days- not to stay at home with his- that _bitch_. No. No way. 

 “Tassiter, you can’t-“

“ _Principal_  or _Mister_ Tassiter,” Tassiter interrupted, one eyebrow raised. “And yes, I _can_.” The corner of his lips twitched up in a smile. Jack scowled, a sudden urge to punch him in the face bubbling up inside him. 

 Tassiter folded his hands together, leaning forward on the desk. “Finish up the day. Your suspension starts tomorrow. Now, if you’d excuse me,” Tassiter rolled back his chair and opened a drawer, pulling out a packet of papers. He grabbed a pen as he placed the packet down, clicking the pen with a pointed glare towards Jack. “I have an accident report to fill out.” 


	2. Chapter 2

  Rhys walked into class a bit late, mumbling an apology as he handed the teacher a slip that excused his tardiness. He took his seat next to Vaughn, who offered a small smile in greeting. He leaned over once Rhys was settled in his desk, his voice lowered so he wouldn’t call attention to their conversation, “Hey, man. How’d it go?” 

 Rhys offered Vaughn a nervous smile, his eyes darting to his open notebook in front if him. “I’m excused for tomorrow, so that’s good,” Rhys tapped his pencil against his desk. “But Principal Tassiter will never _not_ unnerve me.” 

 Vaughn hummed in agreement, glancing up at the whiteboard to copy the notes the teacher had written while they talked. Rhys bit his lip as he contemplated sharing who he had ran into in the office. It wasn’t necessarily a big deal seeing Jack in the school’s office- he’s practically always there. No, the big deal was that Rhys talked to Jack and didn’t get punched in the face or made fun of in anyway. The whole encounter was odd and Rhys would prefer to forget about it, but he knew Vaughn and Yvette would feel absolutely betrayed if he kept that information to himself. 

 Rhys leaned over to Vaughn. 

“Dude, you’ll never guess who I ran into in the office, though,” Rhys smiled playfully, sarcasm dripping in his tone. Vaughn raised an eyebrow at him, a humored smile appearing on his features. 

 “Hmm does his name start with ‘J’ and end in ‘-ackass’?” 

 Rhys held a hand up to his mouth to block his snort, clearing his throat to hide it. Vaughn didn’t like Jack much, ever since he took Vaughn’s parking spot in the school parking lot. Since that day Vaughn claimed Jack as his “arch nemesis” and it turned into an inside joke between their friend group. 

“What was he in there for this time?” Vaughn asked after a moment. 

“He stabbed someone with a _fork_ ,” Rhys hissed, shaking his head. He felt sorry for whatever the person on the receiving end of the fork did to deserve such a fate. 

 Vaughn blinked at Rhys, before shaking his head. 

 “Wow,” Was all Vaughn responded with before he returned to his notes. 

 They didn’t talk much for the rest of the class, both preoccupied with taking their notes. When the bell finally rang Rhys said goodbye and went on to his last class of the day. 

 

~

 

 Jack had stormed out of Tassiter’s office in a foul mood. He kicked a trashcan by the office out of anger, spilling trash all over the floor and making a mess. 

“ _Fuck_!” He exclaimed as he took a minute to take a few breaths. He calmed down a bit, enough to pick up the mess he made. He picked up the trash and returned it to the trashcan, deciding it would probably be best to go to the bathroom and wash up and maybe attempt to calm down. 

 He made his way to the bathroom, his mind on his suspension. 

  _Maybe_ it wouldn’t be too bad. It was only three days. Or maybe he could crash at Nisha’s place instead of going to his sorry excuse of a grandmother’s house.

_That_ idea sounded great. 

But the only thing stopping him was Timothy. 

 Jack sure as _hell_ didn't want to leave Timothy alone at their grandmother’s house. But he wasn’t sure if Timothy wanted to up and leave everything for three days and stay with Nisha. 

 Jack ran his hands under the sink water in the bathroom, splashing some water on his face as he thought. 

 Jack would just have to deal with it for a few days.

 He could do that. He could lock himself away in his room and he wouldn’t even have to see her. Yeah. Jack could deal with it. 

 And as long as Jack was there her focus and anger would be on him, so Timothy would be okay. 

 Jack sighed as he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He could make it through three days.

 He could do it.

 With his mind made up, Jack dried his face off and left the bathroom. The school day was almost over and Jack was already loathing what awaited him after school. 

 

~

 

 The school day finally ended and Rhys made his way out of the school, dreading the thought of riding the bus. Vaughn had a doctor’s appointment that afternoon so he hadn’t been able to drive Rhys or Yvette home. Yvette usually walked to school- she lived pretty close- but Rhys did not have that luxury. (Was it truly a luxury, though?) So with a sigh and a suddenly very heavy backpack, Rhys walked through the parking lot, making his way to the bus stop. 

 He was stopped, however, by a truck behind him. Rhys turned around to see the car, watching as it drove up next to him and the driver rolled down the window. 

 And, of all the people in the world, _of course_ it was Jack.

Jack grinned at him, one elbow poking out of the opened window as he rested his arm there, and the other hand holding the steering wheel. 

 “Well, look who it is,” Jack greeted. 

 Rhys frowned, his hands moving to hold onto the straps of his backpack. 

“Hi,” Rhys said lamely. He wasn’t sure how else to respond. He hadn’t expected to see Jack again. 

 Jack raised a brow in question. 

 “Ya know, I never got your name…” He let the sentence trail off with a tilt of his head, waiting for Rhys to respond. Rhys blinked blankly instead. 

 “Because I never offered it,” Rhys bluntly stated. Jack sighed. 

 “Ah, you’re a stubborn one. I see how it is,” Jack leaned back in his seat, his eyes trailing Rhys’ body. “Well, do you know who _I_ am?” 

 Rhys furrowed his brow at the question because _of course_ he knew who Jack was. “Everyone knows you, Jack. You’re the troublemaker.” Rhys responded, shifting his feet awkwardly on the road. 

Jack grinned at Rhys’ response and met Rhys’ stare. “Well do ya wanna hop in here and see exactly what kind of trouble we can get into?”

Rhys immediately shook his head “No thanks… I know you probably don’t care, but I have a load of homework to get through so I don’t have time-“ 

_**HONK** _

 Rhys blinked at Jack who simply continued grinning at him. Did he… honk at him?

 Rhys tried to explain again. “I don’t have-“ 

_**HOONK** _

Rhys frowned at the realization that Jack had done it on purpose. Jack still wore his stupid grin as he stared at Rhys with a raised eyebrow. “What did you say, cupcake? Didn’t quite catch that.”

 Rhys huffed in annoyance, opening his mouth to try one more time, “I don’t-”

_**HOOOOOONK** _

  Rhys was rightfully annoyed after the last honk, watching Jack with an annoyed glare as he held his hand down on the horn. Rhys sighed.

“You’re not gonna stop honking until I get in the car, are you?” 

Jack shot a finger gun at Rhys, his grin never once faltering. “Bingo!” 

 Rhys contemplated his options for a second. Maybe it wouldn’t be _too_ bad riding home with Jack. It would save him from having to ride the bus. Rhys ran a hand through his hair, and finally decided to get in the car. He made his way around the passenger side, opening the door and getting in the car. 

 He was only momentarily taken off guard when he glanced to the back and saw yet _another_ Jack sitting back there.

Rhys blinked at the second Jack, trying to comprehend what he was seeing, when Jack spoke up. 

“That’s my brother, Timothy.” 

Timothy smiled and waved at Rhys. 

“Hi,” Timothy offered. Rhys slowly raised his hand and waved back. 

“Twins…” Rhys mumbled in disbelief. “Identical twins.” Rhys laughed to himself because he had absolutely no idea Jack had a brother, much less a _twin_. The whole situation was incredibly odd to him. 

 Jack cleared his throat drawing Rhys from his stunned silence. 

“So are you gonna tell me your name now?” 

 Rhys glanced at Jack, a small-  _very_ small- smile forming on his lips. Jack was persistent, he’d give him that. Rhys pulled his seatbelt on, letting it click into place before responding. “My name is Rhys.”

 Jack furrowed his brows. 

“‘Rhys’? Like, Reese’s Pieces?” Jack responded, his nose scrunched up in thought. It was kind of… cute. Rhys ignored that thought and nodded. 

“Yeah, I guess.” 

 Jack said the name a few times, seemingly trying to get used to it.

“Rhys, Rhys, Rhys. _Rhyyyysss_ ,” He grinned. “Rhysie,” He looked over to Rhys at that, and Rhys shook his head.

“Oh no, we are _not_ doing nicknames.” 

 That remark only made Jack’s grin grow. 

“Rhysie it is, then.”

 Rhys slouched in his seat, accepting his fate at that point, when Timothy poked his head between the two of them from the back. He looked at Rhys with a grin. It was different from Jack’s grin though, it was softer- calmer. 

 “Just thought I’d let you know that the _moment_ Jack saw you walking he kicked me to the back to save that seat for you,” Timothy looked over at Jack who was frowing at what Timothy said. Timothy chuckled and looked back at Rhys. “So you should feel special. He doesn’t give that seat to just _anyone_.” 

 With that, Timothy winked, and leaned back. Rhys studied Jack’s face, is eyes tracing his side profile with a smile. 

“Is that right?” Rhys questioned, enjoying the way Jack’s face flushed.

“Shut up, _Rhysie_ ,” Jack grumbled. Rhys chuckled to himself, mostly at the absurdity of the situation. In just one day he met Jack for the first time, got a ride with him, _and_ teased him. _Without_ getting stabbed with some obscure object. 

 So maybe Jack wasn’t too bad. But Rhys made a mental note not to get used to the free rides or banter- Jack didn’t _do_ friends. It was just a one time thing. Just _one_ ride. Nothing more. 

 Rhys tried to block out the disappointment in the pit of his stomach as the directions he was giving Jack to his house slowly came to an end. They pulled into Rhys’ drive way, and Rhys thanked Jack for the ride. With that, he stepped out of the truck, closed the door behind him, and made his way inside his house, pushing all thoughts of Jack to the side.

 He had homework he needed to worry about. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: There is physical abuse in this chapter so if that makes you uncomfortable or triggers you in anyway you may wanna skip this chapter!

 After dropping Rhys off at his house, Jack slowly made his way to his grandmother’s house. Timothy had moved back to the front seat, shifting uncomfortably every now and then.  

“I still can’t believe you did that, Jack.” 

 Jack shot Timothy a glance from the corner of his eye. 

“Did what?” He searched his thoughts, remembering the events of the day. “Stabbed someone?”

 Timothy nodded, his gaze occupied with the window. Jack snorted. 

 “I stabbed his _hand_. It wasn’t gonna kill him. And anyway I was just trying to help you-“ 

 “But you didn’t have to _stab_ him. I could have handle it myself, you know.” Timothy interrupted Jack. Jack frowned. 

“By doing what? Throwing your books at him? Oh, yeah, that’ll show him.” Jack shook his head, huffing out a breath of disbelief. 

 They were quiet for a moment, Timothy staring out of the window and Jack watching the road ahead of him. Jack sighed.

“Look, I’m sorry. I really need to work on my temper, I know,” Jack offered Timothy a smile. “I promise I won’t stab anymore people. With forks or other utensils.” 

Timothy finally turned to look at Jack, a mischievous grin replacing his previous solemn mood. 

“Sooo you wanna tell me about Rhys?” 

 Timothy had decided to change the subject. Which meant he _really_ didn’t want to talk about it. Jack respected that and switched to the new topic. 

“There’s nothing much to say about him other than he’s got legs for days and he’s a fuckin’ nerd,” Jack grinned at Timothy. “Like _you_.” 

 Timothy rolled his eyes. 

“Whatever. Glad to see you’re actually trying to make friends. Maybe you won’t be so much of a loser anymore.” 

“Ouch, Timmy. Ouch.” 

 Jack playfully shoved Timothy, which earned him a shove right back. Jack somehow magically didn’t steer off the road during their play fight, and they were able to enjoy a few nice moments before pulling into their grandmother’s driveway. 

 They stayed in the car for longer than needed, the engine turned off, but neither wanting to get out. 

 That place had never felt like a home to Jack. He would often stay with Nisha on the weekends, just to avoid going “home”. Timothy would always tag along, if only for Jack’s peace of mind. 

 After a few minutes of sitting in the car, the twins finally decided to get out, hesitantly walking up to the front door. Jack opened the door and stepped in ahead of Timothy, preparing for the worst.

 “What’s this about you being _suspended_ Jack?” 

 Jack was immediately greeted with his grandmother’s voice as he entered the house. He felt his nerves already on edge as he closed the door behind him. He glanced at Timothy who offered him a sympathetic look. 

“Yeah, sorry about that gran-gran. Got into a, ah, fight. Yeah.” Jack called out as he slowly walked through the house he had come to loathe. Timothy followed close behind him. They turned a corner into the living room where their grandmother stood, her eyes bulging with rage. The bitter scent of alcohol hit Jack’s nostrils almost immediately causing his nose to scrunch up. 

“You got into a fight?” Her words were slurred. A quick glance to her hand and Jack noticed she held a half empty bottle of beer, with many empty bottles littered behind her. Jack protectively stood in front of Timothy, blocking him from her view as she approached.

 “Yeah. It’s nothing big just-“ 

She scoffed, taking a swig of her beer. 

“‘ _Nothing big_ ’ he says,” She cackled to herself, sounding like a hyena. Jack hated the sound. “That’s not what the person on the phone told me. They said you stabbed someone.”

 Jack stiffened but he didn’t falter. He glared at the woman, waiting for her to continue talking. She shrugged after a moment. 

 “Well, I don’t give a fuck _what_ you did,” She squinted her eyes. The tone in her voice was dangerous. “What I _do_ care about, is how _ungrateful_ you are. I take you into my home, give you food, a place to sleep, I let you go to school and get an education and _this_ is the thanks I get?” She scoffed and took another sip of her drink. She brought the bottle down after a moment, then slowly began approaching Jack.

 “You ungrateful,” She took a step, “little,” another step then she was right on top of Jack, her breath reeking of beer and cigarettes, “ _shit_.” She raised her hand, and Jack closed his eyes, waiting for the impact, but instead Timothy suddenly spoke up. 

 “No, wait! Jack was just trying to protect me,” Timothy stepped out from behind Jack and grabbed their grandmother’s wrist, keeping her from hitting Jack. She snatched her wrist from Timothy’s grip with a snarl, her rage suddenly directed at him. Jack’s eyes grew wide in shock as he watched her grab Timothy’s shirt and threw him at the nearby wall.

 “How _dare_ you grab me like that!” She shouted, throwing her bottle at the wall next to Timothy, successfully shattering it and causing him to flinch. She walked up to him and lifted her hand again, hitting him hard against his cheek with the back of her hand. Timothy cried out in pain, his hand immediately going to his cheek. Jack was by Timothy’s side in the next second, his vision blurred red with anger. He grabbed Timothy’s shoulder’s, pulling him towrads him protectively and shooting and rage filled glare at the bitch who claimed to be their grandmother. 

 “ _You_ …” Jack begin through clenched teeth, holding a shaking Timothy close to his chest. 

 The woman smirked at Jack. 

“Me _what_?” 

  Jack clenched his teeth tightly in anger, pain shooting straight through his jaw. 

 “ _You fucking BITCH_!” He shouted, wanting to do nothing more than strangle her right then and there. 

 She grinned and pushed passed the two, shoving Jack’s shoulder purposefully as she did so. She disappeared into her room a few seconds later with a pointed _click_ indicating she had locked her door. 

 Jack held Timothy for a little while longer, trying to allow time for both of them to calm down. When Timothy finally looked up, Jack examined his face, noticing a few bleeding cuts on his right cheek from where she had thrown her bottle and it shattered. His other cheek was red, but other than that he was okay. 

 Jack was still beyond pissed at what had happened. 

 “Jack,” Timothy spoke up, his voice quiet and his eyes seemed suddenly much more tired than before. “Let’s go.” 

 Jack stared at Timothy in thought for a moment.

 “Where?” He asked after a beat of silence. Timothy shrugged. 

 “Anywhere but here.” 

 Jack nodded at that, and they were both out of the door in the next minute, sitting in Jack’s car and driving far away from the house. 

 

~

 

 They ended up going to Nisha’s apartment. 

 Nisha was a year older than them, she had graduated the year before and had moved out into an apartment. She had a roommate who Jack had talked to a few times.

 Jack and Timothy had stumbled into Nisha’s shared apartment that evening, Timothy holding a hand to his bloody and cut up cheek, and Jack practically oozing with rage. 

 They were greeted at the door by Nisha’s roommate, the blue haired chick Jack had seen a few times before. She took one glance at them, her eyes widening in surprise, them quickly moved aside to let them in. 

 “Nisha, you’re friends are here.” The roommate called into the apartment, scurrying past the twins and into the bathroom. She returned a few seconds later with a wet washcloth, right when Nisha emerged from her own room. 

 The roommate, Maya as Jack recalled, handed the washcloth to Timothy. He took it and nodded in thanks as he began cleaning his bloody cheek. Nisha approached them with her eyes wide in surprise as she took in their forms. 

“What the _fuck_ happened?” She asked, looking at Jack. Jack laughed humorlessly. 

“Nice to see you too, Nisha,” He responded, his arms crossed over his chest. Nisha whacked his arm. 

“Now is _not_ the time to be an asshole, kid.” She moved her attention to Timothy who had cleaned off the blood and was left with three small cuts on his cheek. His other cheek had vague red, finger-shaped marks going across it. A fresh wave of rage bubbled up within Jack at the sight. Nisha’s hand on his cheek brought him back to reality, she gently turned his head to face her, an eyebrow raised curiously. Maya had taken Timothy away to bandage up his cuts, leaving Jack and Nisha alone in the living room. 

“What happened?” Nisha asked calmly, slowly leading them to the couch. Jack let her lead him, sitting down numbly. 

“That… that _bitch_ hit Tim,” Jack felt his fingers twitch in anger, but it quickly passed, and instead his shoulders slouched. “It was my fault, Nish. He took the blame for something _I_ did and she hit him. Threw a fucking _beer bottle_ at him.” 

 Jack stared at the ground, shaking his head as he sorted through his feelings. She had hit them before- she would usually stray away from Timothy, though. Jack was usually the one on the receiving end of her wraith. Seeing how scared Timothy was- Jack clenched his fists at the memory. It made him sick. 

 Nisha watched him carefully, gently patting him on the shoulder.

 “She can go rot in hell,” Nisha responded coldly after a few moments of silence. Jack nodded in agreement, his head heavy. 

 They stayed like that, Nisha sitting with Jack while he calmed down. He really wanted to break something, but seeing as the things he could break were Nisha’s or Maya’s and not his, he held that urge back. 

 Timothy and Maya returned after a few minutes, Timothy sporting colorful bandaids on his cheek. He had flushed a bit when Jack mentioned them and Nisha snorted. 

 “When you’re on a budget you take what you can find,” She had responded, patting Timothy’s cheek lovingly. “I think the rainbow bandaids look aborable on you.” 

 They ended up staying there over night. They had a few sets of clothing left there from other times they had stayed, so they were set. 

At least for a few days. 

 

~

 

 Rhys didn’t see or hear from Jack or Timothy again after the ride home. Of course, Rhys had seen that coming. As he had said, Jack didn’t do friends. And Rhys had other things to worry about- like the play. Which had gone very well, if he was being honest. The lights and sounds had worked fine, and the cast had done amazing. Rhys had helped backstage with costumes and set changes and just making sure everything went smoothly. The cast had thanked him afterwards- said they all appreciated everything he had done. It made his heart swell that they actually cared. He loved watching them all and loved that he could help behind the scenes- though a small part of him wished he was brave enough to go out on stage himself. 

 Rhys had quickly learned that Jack’s absence was due to suspension, though, and he wasn’t purposefully ignoring him. Rhys had never seen or ran into Timothy before he met him, so he couldn’t really say for certain if Timothy was gone as well or just ignoring him.

 He had almost forgotten about the whole odd meeting with the twins, but was rudely reminded when the all too familiar horn blew outside of his house at 7 a.m.

 Rhys groggily sat up in his bed, slowly but surely making his way downstairs where he saw his mother looking out of the window with a cup of coffee in her hands. She greeted Rhys with an amused smile as she looked out the window at what was no doubtably Jack’s truck. 

“Friend of yours?” She asked, taking a sip of her coffee. 

 Rhys sighed as he glared at the vehicle. He turned away from the window and started heading for the front door. “No. No he’s not.” Rhys repsonded to his mother’s question as he opened the front door and stepped outside, still in his pajamas. He walked up the the truck with his arms crossed. Jack immediately rolled down the window, a cup of coffee in his hand. He grinned in greeting. 

“‘Morning, cupcake,” He eyed Rhys’ pajamas, which consisted of blue pants with yellow stars scattered across them, and an old gray t-shirt. “Nice jammies.” 

 Rhys frowned. “What are you _doing_ here?” 

 “Uh, offering you a ride to school. Obviously. You know, like friends do,” He eyed Rhys’ pajamas once more. “Though I guess I’m a bit early.” 

Rhys scoffed in disbelief. He thought he was done with Jack’s wierdness but evidently it was only just the beginning. 

“How’d you even remember my address?” Rhys questioned, rubbing his exposed arms from the cold air. He wished he would have changed before storming out to confront Jack. 

 Jack smiled, bringing the straw of his coffee up to his lips and taking a sip. 

“I have a _great_ memory,” He held up his coffee cup, then grabbed a box and held it up for Rhys to see. “C’mon, I have donuts and coffee. Timothy’s here, too.” 

 At that, Timothy popped his head out from the back, a small smile on his own face. 

“Good morning,” Timothy greeted him. And Rhys sighed, because Jack had once _again_ successfully persuaded him into catching a ride. 

“Okay, fine. You win,” Rhys timidly smiled at Jack. “Just let me go change, first.” 

 Jack grinned victoriously, and Rhys turned around with his own grin, heading back inside his house to change. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank you guys for the support this fic has gotten so far! It means a lot to me, and I’m glad to see that you guys are enjoying it so far! :’’) ❤️

 Rhys sat in the passenger’s seat of Jack’s truck, typing out a quick text to Vaughn to explain that he had a ride to school. Rhys put his phone up when he sent the message and took a bite of his donut (jelly filled, Rhys’ favorite), as he listened to the radio. The previous song had finished up, and a new song had just started. Rhys immediately perked up. 

“Ooh, I love this song!” Rhys exclaimed, making a move to turn up the volume, but stopped when he remembered he was in _Jack’s_ truck, not Vaughn’s. He looked up to Jack who grinned and nodded at him. Rhys smiled and turned up the volume, bobbing his head to the music. He started humming after a moment, slowly allowing himself to get more comfortable. He began quietly singing. 

 Jack glanced at him from the corner of his eye. 

“Wow, cupcake. You’ve got a _really_  nice voice,” Jack commented. Rhys flushed and looked out of the window, immediately stopping his singing. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and mumbled a quiet “thanks.” Jack continued, “Don’t you work in the theatre department? Are you ever in any of the plays?” 

 Rhys almost laughed at that. He shook his head. 

“Oh, no. I work backstage. I’m not really one to… perform. Bad stage fright.” Rhys chuckled softly. 

 Jack raised an eyebrow in question, tapping the steering wheel. 

“Well, do you _want_ to perform?” Jack picked up his coffee from its cup holder and took a sip, eyeing Rhys curiously. Rhys thought for a moment, stuffing the remains of his donut into his mouth and chewing slowly.

“I mean…” Rhys swollowed down his mouthful of donut, “I tried performing freshman year but… I was so nervous I threw up ruined my costume. Found out I could work backstage instead and decided to do that.” Rhys shrugged. He _loved_ theater- and he would love to be on stage. But the thought was one thing- to actually _be_ on stage, with hundreds of eyes on you- that was terrifying. So Rhys preferred to hide backstage, still being able to work with the actors and work on the plays, but without the nervousness of performing. 

 It was a win-win for Rhys, really. 

 Jack hummed in thought, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music. Timothy stayed quiet in the back, an occasional slurp when he would take a sip of his drink. The music was calming as it played in the background, weaving through any concerns Rhys might have had before. Rhys relaxed into his seat, continuing to hum along with the song.

 It was so… domestic. Rhys found he enjoyed it, and smiled as he looked out of the window, watching the trees and houses that passed by as they neared the school. 

 

~

 

 Rhys stood outside of Jack’s truck awkwardly when they arrived at the school. He fiddled with his hands, twisting them uncertainly. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to go, or if he was supposed to wait for the twins- he wasn’t sure _what_ he was supposed to do. 

 So he stood awkwardly, biting his lip in thought. He should probably thank Jack, he realized. 

 Jack walked around the truck, grinning at Rhys as he approached. He waved back lazily at Timothy as Timothy walked away in the direction of the school. Jack stopped in front of Rhys, his arms crossed over his chest, then leaned against his truck. Rhys awkwardly cleared his throat. 

“Uh. Thanks, for the ride. And the donuts,” Rhys smiled at Jack. 

“Heh. No problem, cupcake. Anytime.” 

 They stood like that for a minute, Rhys unsure what to say but too awkward to just leave. Jack stared down at him in amusement. 

 Rhys finally decided to say something, if only for the sake of his sanity. 

“So! Nice, uh, truck.” Rhys said as he stared at Jack’s truck. And Rhys wasn’t lying- it _was_ really nice _._ A dark black with two light blue stripes and a singular yellow stripe in the middle, running down the hood. Jack moved his attention from Rhys in favor of smiling down at the truck. 

 “Oh, isn’t she a beauty?” He asked, staring down at the vehicle lovingly. 

“Got her from a repair shop I sometimes work at. Fixed her up myself,” He adjusted his stance, pushing himself off of the truck and running a hand against the truck’s hood, his fingers tracing the blue and yellow stripes there. “Her name is Angel.”

 Rhys blinked in confusion. 

“You named your truck… ‘Angel’?” Rhys questioned, watching Jack’s fingers as they traced the vehicle’s details. 

“Yup. This truck is special to me. She’s… gotten me through a lot of tough times,” Jack smiled at Rhys, pulling his hands away from the truck and placing them in the pockets of his hoodie. 

“But enough about _that_ ,” Jack grinned his signature grin at Rhys, tilting his head at him curiously. “Do you need a ride home after school?” 

 Rhys blinked, biting his lip in thought. 

“I don’t want to be a bother…” Rhys responded, causing Jack to quickly shake his head.

“You’re not a bother, Rhysie,” he leaned in a bit closer, his hand was suddenly holding Rhys’ chin. Rhys froze, his eyes wide when he felt Jack’s thumb press against the corner of his lips. Rhys held his breath as Jack rubbed his thumb from his lips then across his cheek. 

 Then Jack was leaning away, removing his hand almost _too_ quickly, and clearing his throat. 

“Sorry- you had some crumbs on your face,” Jack mumbled as he ran a hand through his already unruly hair, pushing it back only to have a few strands fall back. Rhys was frozen in spot, unsure what to make of what had just happened. Jack laughed awkwardly, his eyes looking anywhere but at Rhys. 

“We should probably head inside,” Jack suggested. Rhys nodded his head quickly, thankful to have an excuse to walk away from _that_ terribly awkward conversation. He mumbled a goodbye to Jack and hurried off, his mind replaying Jack’s touch over and over again. 

 

~

 

 Jack cursed to himself as he watched Rhys walk away. 

_Yeah, Jack. Talk about your truck then touch his face like a friggin creep. Real smooth, buddy._

Jack sighed in exasperation as he started walking towards the school, meeting back up with his brother who had apparently been watching the encounter from afar. 

Timothy gave Jack a humored grin. 

“Nice moves, Hot Shot,” He commented, earning a shove from Jack. 

Jack scowled at Tim, mumbling an annoyed, “Shut up.” Timothy snorted. 

 And that was that.

 No mentions of what had happened a few days before, no comments about their grandmother. They didn’t like talking about what happened at their grandmother’s house. In fact, only two people even _knew_ about their grandma, and that was Nisha and Maya. Though, Maya didn’t really count. 

 Jack glanced at Tim, looking at the fading cuts on his cheek that were barely noticeable unless someone _really_  looked. Jack pushed down the bubbling rage he felt, and turned his head away from Timothy. 

 They were going to stay with Nisha for one more night. Then it was back to Grandmother’s house.

 And Jack found he wasn’t looking forward to that at all. 

 

~

 

“So who’s this mystery ride?” Yvette asked Rhys as they arrived at their lunch table. Rhys rolled his eyes a Yvette, dumping his backpack on the ground and sitting down in his chair. Vaughn sat down next to him, looking at Rhys expectantly. Rhys sighed. 

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” He said, a mildly amused grin on his lips. Yvette arched a brow. 

“Try me,” She commented, taking a bite of a fry from her lunch tray. Rhys sighed once more, biting his lower lip before responding.

“Jack,” Rhys responded, stabbing at a grape from his fruit salad. He popped the grape in his mouth and couldn’t help the satisfied grin that formed in his lips at his two friend’s shocked faces. 

 Vaughn shook his head in disbelief, staring at Rhys as if he’d just grown a second head. 

“You’re accepting rides from the _enemy_?” Vaughn exclaimed, shaking his head disapprovingly and moving one hand over his heart. “How could you do that to me, bro? I thought you were better than that!” 

 Yvette jabbed Vaughn’s side with a frown. 

“You’re asking the wrong questions, what you _should_ be asking is,” She glanced at Rhys. “since when did you become all buddy-buddy with Hyperion High’s bad boy?” 

 Rhys shrugged, poking at another piece of fruit. His thoughts wondered back to Jack’s touch and he felt his face flush. 

“I don’t know- it just kinda… _happened.”_ Rhys stuffed a piece of pineapple in his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment, but nearly choked when a hand slapped him aggressively on the back. 

 Rhys coughed, sputtering as he tried to recover from his near death experience. He looked up wide eyed in search of the attacker, only to come face to face with a grinning Jack. 

“Speak of the devil,” Rhys heard Yvette mumble from across the table. Rhys blinked in surprise, opening his mouth to question Jack, but found that nothing would come out. He quickly shut his mouth and continued staring at Jack in shock. 

“Hiya, Rhysie! Mind if we join you?” He asked, but was already reaching over at the table next to them and grabbing a chair. 

“Is this seat taken? No? Well, it is now,” Jack pulled the chair away, leaving a very confused student at the other table. Jack brought the chair next to Rhys, forcing Vaughn to move away and make enough room for Jack. He turned the chair so the back faced the table, then sat down in it, folding his arms on the back of the chair, and grinned at the group. Rhys vaguely acknowledged Timothy quietly pulling his own chair up to the table on the other side of him.

“Sup, losers. What’s on the menu today?” Jack questioned, eyeing their plates curiously. None of them responded to his question- Rhys still surprised by Jack’s sudden appearance, Vaughn was in complete and utter shock, and Yvette was watching Jack with piqued interest and a mildly annoyed glare.

 Vaughn shook his head of his trance and knitted his brows in annoyance.

“What are you _doing-“_ Vaughn tried to question him, but Jack wasn’t paying attention and interrupted him.

“The school’s lunch is _shit_ ,” he glanced at Rhys’ plate and quirked an eyebrow up, intrigued. “Hmm fruit looks alright, mind if I steal a piece, pumpkin?” He asked, but didn’t wait for a response. He grabbed Rhys’ abandoned fork and stabbed at the fruit salad, stuffing the food in his mouth. He shrugged and placed the fork back down. Rhys blinked down at his plate and furrowed his brow in confusion. He glanced at Timothy in disbelief. Timothy shrugged and offered him a sympathetic smile. 

“Eh. Fruit’s okay,” Jack glanced around the table, his eyes stopping on Vaughn’s shirt. “Oooh, you’re a Star Wars fan?” 

 Vaughn’s eyes suddenly lit up. He glanced down at his own shirt, which consisted of the words _may the force be with you_  in the Star Wars font. He nodded slowly up at Jack, hesitant and still obviously annoyed by the sudden interference. 

 Jack leaned forward a bit, an exited smile on his face. “That’s fucking awesome, man. My fav character is _definitely_ Han Solo. I mean, who _wouldn’t_ like a hot smuggler like him?” 

 Yvette spoke up a forced smile on her features, “ _Of course_ he’s your favorite.” She glanced at Rhys with raised eyebrows and her smile gone. Rhys grinned nervously. 

Vaughn adjusted his glasses, definitely a lot more comfortable with Jack’s presence than before. “That’s fair, I guess. I wouldn’t say I have a _favorite_ character, but Yoda is pretty cool.” 

 “ _Damn_ right he is,” Jack agreed with a nod. 

 Rhys shook his head in utter disbelief as his best friend, and new friend- who had only five minutes prior been his best friend’s _arch nemesis-_ casually talked about their nerdy obsession. Rhys turned to Timothy who was watching with an amused grin. 

“And he calls _me_ the nerd,” Timothy stated with a chuckle. Rhys laughed too, and returned to eating his lunch, butting into Vaughn and Jack’s conversation every now and then to share his own thoughts. 

 Yvette watched them all carefully, glaring at Jack when he spoke. She was still hesitant about Jack, it seemed, but Rhys shrugged her off. She’d come around, eventually. 


	5. Chapter 5

 It had been a month since Jack had met Rhys and, he had to admit, things were going pretty well. Jack didn’t have many friends, but he did enjoy hanging out with Rhys’ small group of friends. Vaughn, the short nerd (Short Stack, as Jack so lovingly called him), had warmed up pretty quickly to him. They talked about their shared obsessions- which was actually quite a lot, Jack had learned. They both liked a lot of the same video games and shows, though Jack would never talk about those to anyone else. He had a reputation to keep up. 

 The girl- Yvette- however, didn’t seem too keen on Jack. She was always watching him, always giving him the stink eye. Jack didn’t enjoy that too much, but she seemed to get along pretty well with Timothy so Jack didn’t mind. 

 And, _yes_ , Timothy was _actually_ enjoying their new friends. He was interacting, smiling and laughing- Jack was very happy about that. 

 And Jack’s relationship with Rhys was… interesting. They were friends, _obviously_ , but Jack found that he _really_ liked Rhys. He flirted with Rhys- _a lot_ -but Rhys was either really oblivious, or just ignoring the oh-so obvious signs from Jack. 

 Jack sighed as he leaned forward on his desk, resting his chin on his hand. He stared blankly at the front of the classroom, the words coming out of the teacher’s mouth just background noise as Jack thought. 

 Maybe he just needed to be straightforward with Rhys- just go ahead and ask him out. Because, evidently, Jack’s not so subtle hints were getting him nowhere. 

 Jack was so deep in thought about Rhys that he didn't hear when the teacher called his name- he definitely heard it the second time, though, when the teacher said it louder and with more authority than really needed, and caused him to jump. He blinked at the teacher, ignoring how all of the other students’ heads turned to look at him. 

“Yeah?” Jack responded to be teacher. Ms. Hammerlock, the French teacher who Jack hadn’t been listening to all hour, arched a mildly amused eyebrow at him. She tilted her head up so she was staring down at him past her nose. 

_What an awfully pretentious bitch_. Jack thought to himself, arching his own brow in defiance at her. 

“I just got a call from he office, it would seem you’re needed up there,” She tilted her head to the side slightly, giving him a judgmental look. Jack sneered, standing up from his desk. 

“ _Great_. What did I do this time?” He asked- he couldn’t recall doing anything recently that could get in him in trouble. Ms. Hammerlock shrugged. 

“That’s none of my business, darling. I was just told you were needed.” 

 Jack glared at her- yeah, he _really_ didn’t like her personality- then grabbed his backpack and slung it lazily over his shoulder. He ignored the stares from his classmates. Let them stare- he didn’t give a _shit_ \- then headed to the door and walked out, making sure to slam the door shut behind him. 

 When Jack arrived to the office, the secretary greeted him with barely even a look in his direction. She held up the phone from behind her desk. 

“Phone call,” She stated simply. Jack furrowed his brow, walking up behind the desk and snatching the phone.

“Hello?” He said into the phone, a bit more aggressive than intended. He heard a familiar chuckle from the other end. 

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Nisha asked with a snicker. Jack rolled his eyes, a smile forming on his lips. 

“Hi, Nish. Sorry, teacher was being an ass,” He chuckled softly, before frowning. Nisha had never called him at school before.  “Everything good?” He asked, a bit of concern in his tone. 

“If it was, would I be calling you?” She asked, and Jack could practically see her smirk through her words. She sighed. “My car broke down.” 

 Jack’s frown deepened. “Why not call Maya?” 

“Because she’s working and she doesn’t work at a _repair shop_ like you,” Nisha responded, talking slowly and emphasizing each word as if she were talking to a toddler. Jack sighed in annoyance. 

“No- I get that, but I’m kinda at _school_ , right now.” 

 Nisha laughed. 

“I’m sure they won’t miss you.” 

 Jack thought for a moment- she was right, they wouldn’t care. The school day was also over, anyway. But Jack had promised to drive Rhys home after play rehearsal. 

 Well, helping Nisha probably wouldn’t take too long. He should be able to return to the school on time to drive Rhys home. With a sigh, Jack finally responded. 

“Okay, fine. Where are you?” 

 

~

 

 As it turned out, fixing Nisha’s car took _a lot_ longer than anticipated. He had hooked Nisha’s car up to the back fo his truck and brought her to the repair shop where he tried to figure out what was wrong. Turned out it was a problem with the alternator, and she needed to get it replaced. 

 It took about three hours to do that, along with a few colorful words from Jack. When Jack finally deemed her car useful again, he checked the clock in the shop, noticing that he was an _hour_ late to pick up Rhys. He cursed, telling Nisha to pay up front (because dammit, friend or not he still wanted to get paid) and he jumped in his truck. 

 Rhys wasn’t at the school, which Jack had expected. He was only a little disappointed in himself, but he had been helping a friend. Surely Rhys would understand? So jack didn’t let it bother him too much. 

 Timothy sat outside the school, reading a book. Jack pulled up in front of him, waiting for him to hop in. Timothy took his time putting his book away and getting in the truck. He stared at Jack expectantly, seemingly waiting for an explanation as to why Jack had abandoned him at the school.  

 Jack smiled apologetically. 

“Sorry about that Tim, Nisha’s car broke down and I had to help her.”

 Timothy stared at Jack for a moment, his expression changing to one of understanding. He sighed, sounding relieved.  

“It’s fine. I knew you wouldn’t just abandon me.” Timothy sounded more like he was trying to convince _himself_ of that statement. 

 Jack stared at Timothy with a frown. He sighed and pulled out of the school’s parking lot, thinking that he _really_ needed his own phone. 

 

~

 

 Jack sat in his shared room with Timothy, staring at the ceiling in complete and utter boredom. It was Sunday and there wasn’t much for them to do. Their grandmother was gone, _thank god_ , working or something. Jack didn’t know nor did he care.  

 Nisha was busy, so he couldn’t go hang out with her. 

 Timothy had borrowed Jack’s truck earlier (Jack had let him borrow it as an apology for leaving him at school). He had gone to the bookstore out in town. Jack hadn’t gone with him because he was tired and he didn’t feel like spending his weekend looking at rows and rows of books. Tim was reading one of said books when he spoke up.  

“Ran into Rhys at the book store. He thought I was you,” Timothy flipped to the next page in his book, his eyes scanning the page. Jack glanced over at him, raising a brow in piqued interest. 

“Oh really? Did he fawn all over you? Declare his love?” Jack grinned at the thought, leaning back in the his chair with his hands behind his head. Of course, he knew Rhys hadn’t done any of that. Didn’t hurt to dream, though. He heard Timothy snort from his top bunk. 

“Jack, I think _you’re_ the one fawning over _him_. Pretty sure he hates you.” 

“Nah, he doesn’t hate me,” Jack scrunched his nose up in thought, recalling their interactions. He glanced back over at Timothy after a moment, his curiosity getting the best of him, “what did he say?”  

Timothy hummed in thought. “Nothing much. Called me an asshole for ‘forgetting to pick him up after rehersal,’” He finally looked up from his book to look at Jack with his brows raised. Jack sighed in exasperation.  

“Fuck. Well did you explain that I was _busy_  and I wasn’t able to?”

Timothy grinned and returned to his book, all too happy as he flipped the page and continued reading. “Nope. I responded: ‘You’re absolutely right. I _am_ an asshole.’ Then moved on.”  

 Jack stared at Timothy in disbelief for a minute, before throwing his head back and running his hands down his face.  

“ _Hooooo_ mygod. He’s going to be _pissed_  at me tomorrow.”

 

~

 

Rhys frowned as he watched the black truck pull up in his drive way. He was _very_ upset with Jack for just _forgetting_ him at rehersal. The truck pulled to a stop in front of Rhys and Rhys begrudgingly got in. He stayed quiet, closing the door with more force than necessary, and stared out the window as Jack slowly pulled out of the driveway. He didn’t greet either of the twins. Rhys was also mad at Timothy for pretending to be Jack at the book store, rightfully embarrassing Rhys. In Rhys’ defense, they _are_ identical and he had been far away. Once he had gotten closer, however, he had noticed that it was the green-eyed, freckled twin and _not_ the heterochromatic twin Rhys had mistaken him for. By that time, Timothy had already responded to Rhys’ outburst, and had walked away without another word. 

 He saw the twins share a look out of the corner of his eye, but didn’t acknowledge it.  

“Listen, cupcake-“ 

“Don’t ‘ _cupcake_ ’ me,” Rhys stated coldly. He turned his head to face Jack, noticing the look of surprise on his face. “I can’t believe you just _left_ me at school. Luckily, I was able to call Vaughn and he picked me up.” Rhys stared back out of the window with a huff. 

 Jack sighed next to him, sounding annoyed. 

“I didn’t _purposefully_ leave you. My friend Nisha’s car broke down and I had to help her-“ 

“Who the _hell_ is Nisha?” Rhys found himself asking before he could stop himself. He’d never heard her name before. Never heard Jack talk about her before.

 Jack blinked at Rhys in disbelief. 

“She’s a friend.” Jack responded slowly. Rhys scoffed. 

“A _friend_ ,” Rhys repeated in disbelief. Since when did Jack have  _friends_. (Aside from Rhys, of course. But that was different.) 

 Jack knitted his brow in confusion as he watched the road in front of him.

“Yes, a _friend_. Why is that so hard for you to…” He trailed off, his eyes slowly widening in realization, “ _Oh_ ,” He grinned, his head slowly turning to glance at Rhys. “Are you _jealous_ , Rhysie?” 

 Rhys’ own eyes widened in surprise, he looked away from Jack. 

“I am _not_ jealous.” Rhys mumbled, causing Jack to cackle.  

“ _Oooh_ my god, you’re totally jealous,” His laughing continued, bringing a finger to his eye to wipe away an imaginary tear. “This is _priceless_. Look, Nisha is just friend, I _promise_.”

 He gave Rhys a mischievous look, raising a brow at him.  

“Didn’t know you felt that way, Rhysie. Should’ve told me sooner,” he chuckled and winked at Rhys. Rhys wanted to just die, then and there. 

  _Maybe_ he had a _teeny-tiny_ crush on Jack. _Maybe_. But he hadn’t planned on telling him.  

 As it would seem, fate absolutely hated Rhys and gave his secret away anyway. Rhys looked down at his lap, his face burning and his mind reeling. 

“If it makes you feel any better, I like you too,” Jack spoke up, causing Rhys to jerk his head up in his direction. There was a pink tint to Jack’s cheeks- was he _blushing_? Jack cleared his throat. “Though I thought I made it pretty obvious.” 

 Rhys had to pinch his arm because there was no way he wasn’t dreaming. Rhys had just assumed that Jack was always just teasing him- never really meaning anything by the flirting and the nicknames. Rhys cleared his throat, a smile tugging at his lips.  

“Well that… that’s something,” Rhys commented and mentally slapped himself. Jack hummed in agreement. 

“Yeah that’s _something_ , alright.” 

 They stayed in a very awkward silence after that, up until they finally got to school and parked. Timothy had quickly got out of the truck, leaving Rhys and Jack alone. 

 Rhys tried to speak up, but Jack spoke up at the same time. 

“Well this-“

“So do you-“ 

 They stared at each other for a moment, then both bursted into laughter. Rhys grinned at Jack, his previous anger all but forgotten. 

“You first,” He said, urging Jack to continue what he was saying. Jack grinned. 

“ _So_ , do you wanna go see a movie with me or something?” Jack’s face was fully pink, his smile nervous. Rhys felt giddy all of a sudden. 

“Like… a date?” Rhys asked, biting his lower lip. Jack nodded, running a hand through his perfectly messy hair that Rhys had grown to really enjoy.

“Yeah, like a date.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These boys. Will be the death of me. 
> 
> Also it’s 1:30 am why am I updating this.

“He- _llooooo_? Earth to Rhys?” Rhys was roused from his daydreaming state by an insistent voice- his mind had been occupied by Jack and the promise of a date. Rhys blinked away his thoughts and found the questioning stare of Gaige. She stared at him with a mildly amused smirk, a brow arched in question and the end of a pencil between her teeth. 

“Sorry about that- I guess my mind is a little preoccupied.” Rhys apologized, glancing down at the scattered papers and textbooks spread out on the table. He heard Gaige snort next to him. 

“A ‘ _little preoccupied_ ’ is the understatement of the _century_ ,” She pulled the pencil away from her mouth, tapping it against the table as she leaned forward and rested her head on her free hand. Rhys scratched the back of his neck and smiled, embarrassed. 

“Sorry- again,” He chuckled awkwardly. “Uh, what were we on before I spaced out?” 

 Gaige hummed, pushing the paper in front of her to Rhys. She pointed with her pencil to a problem she had attempted to work. 

“You were showing me how to use the Pie-skag… Pythag…” She scrunched her nose up with a frown. Rhys chuckled again. 

“ _Pythagorean theorem_?” Rhys supplied for her. She nodded. 

“Yeah, that.” 

 Rhys smiled and looked down at her work, only spotting a few mistakes. He helped her through the rest of the problem, withoutzoning out again by thoughts of a certain _bad boy_. 

 They had just finished up with the lesson when Gaige’s cat strolled into the room, jumping on the table and greeting Gaige with a thrill. 

“Hey, Deathtrap,” Gaige greeted her cat, scratching under his chin and making him purr. Rhys found the name funny- it was such an uncharacteristic name for such a fluffy, sweet thing. Deathtrap rubbed against Gaige, his fluffy tail swiping across her face as he moved over to Rhys. Rhys gently stroked the cat’s back in greeting. 

 Satisfied with the attention, Deathtrap plopped down between the two of them, right on top of the papers- giving no indication of moving any time soon. Gaige laughed and mindlessly pet him.

 Rhys pet Deathtrap as well, allowing himself to enjoy the calm. He finally allowed his thoughts to return to Jack and he felt a rush of excitement- _and_ nervousness- course through him. 

 

~

 

“You owe me twenty bucks, Vaughn,” Yvette held her hand out and wiggled her sprawled fingers with a smug grin. “Pay up.” 

 Rhys watched in confusion as Vaughn sighed and pulled out his wallet from his backpack that had been resting against the side of Rhys’ bed. He dug around and pulled out a twenty dollar bill, begrudgingly handing it over to Yvette. 

“Am I missing something here?” Rhys asked, his eyes darting between the two. Vaughn sat with his arms crossed looking mildly annoyed, and Yvette only smirked at Rhys as she stuffed the money in her pocket.

“We made a bet on when Jack would ask you out,” She adjusted her glasses with one hand, leaning back on Rhys’ bed and supporting herself up with the other. “I said he’d ask you by the end of the month. Vaughn said after Christmas break.” 

 Rhys frowned at his friends, his eyes landing on Vaughn with a look of disbelief. Vaughn averted his eyes with a nervous smile. Rhys shook his head. 

“You guys are unbelievable.” Rhys exclaimed, grabbing a nearby pillow and holding it tightly against his chest. Yvette shrugged.

“Well, the way I see it, I’m twenty dollars richer, and you get to go on a date. We both win here.” 

 That caused Rhys to roll his eyes, a smile on his lips as he playfully pushed Yvette with his foot and successfully knocked her off balance. The two erupted into a fit of giggles, Vaughn watching them with an amused smile.

 Vaughn cleared his throat after a minute, after Yvette and Rhys’ laughter had died down.

“Okay, but on a more serious note, Jack is… surprisingly okay,” Vaughn shook his head. “I can’t believe I just said that. He’s still a troublemaker, though. Just… be careful.” 

 Yvette nodded in agreement. 

“And no sex on the first date.” She added. Rhys flushed and buried his face in his pillow.

“Okay, _mom_ ,” He responded, his face burning and his voice muffled by the pillow. He only looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Yvette was staring at him with a soft smile on her features.

“But seriously, have fun. I may not… personally like Jack, but I’m not gonna get in your way. I’ve seen the way he looks at you,” She raised her eyebrows and chuckled. “He gets this goofy grin on his face- gets all excited like a puppy.” 

Rhys pulled his lower lip between his teeth, worrying at it as he felt a blanket of warmth consume him- he’d never noticed that before. The thought made him smile, though. He glanced over at Vaughn who nodded in confirmation. Rhys sighed, shoving his face back into his pillow. 

 He couldn’t wait for their date. 

 

~

 

 Jack would be lying if he said he hadn’t been nervous about his date with Rhys. It had been a while since Jack had gone out with someone he genuinely liked. Partly because he didn’t like leaving Timothy alone with their grandma, but mostly because Jack just hadn’t been looking for a relationship. A few flings here and there- but nothing serious. He had Nisha and Timothy, he had enough people he cared about. He hadn’t needed anyone else.

 But he had, by some miracle or hand of fate, stumbled into Rhys’ life- and suddenly everything was different.

 And that’s how Jack found himself walking out of the movie theatre on Saturday night, a mildly frightened Rhys close by his side. 

“That was… horrifying.” Rhys admitted with a shaky breath. His eyes were wide and he was staring at every shadowy corner, as if he was expecting someone- or some _thing_ \- to pop out. Jack chuckled. He hadn’t known Rhys didn’t like horror movies, but it had been a pleasant surprise for Jack when Rhys burried his face in Jack’s shoulder at every small thing.

“Well, how do _you_ know how the movie was? You were too busy covering your eyes through the whole thing.” 

 That earned a whack on his arm, an embarrassed smile on Rhys’ lips and his cheeks tinted a slight pink. 

“Shut up, it was scary!” 

 Jack grinned, reaching out for Rhys’ hand before he could withdraw it. He laced his fingers with Rhys’, letting their intertwined hands swing between them as they walked. Rhys stared down at their hands with wide eyes. Jack leaned down close to Rhys’ ear.

“Don’t worry, Rhysie, I’ll protect you from the _boogeyman_.” Jack whispered, enjoying how Rhys’ cheeks changed from a pink shade into a dark shade of red. Jack leaned away and they continued to Jack’s truck in a comfortable silence. Rhys didn’t try to pull his hand away, so Jack didn’t let go of it until they finally reached his truck. Only then did he release Rhys’ hand, and opened the passenger side door for Rhys to step in. 

“My, such a gentleman,” Rhys commented with a smile. Jack bowed with a playful grin.

“Anything for the _princess_.” That earned another smack on his arm from Rhys. Jack snickered to himself as he made his way to his side.

 Once they were settled in the truck, pulling out of the movie theater, Jack tried to start up a conversation. 

“So if you don’t like horror movies, what kind of movies _do_ you like?” 

 Rhys shot him a confused look. 

“You say that like horror is the only genre in movies.” 

 Jack shrugged. “It’s the only genre that matters,”  Jack thought for a moment before adding, “along with comedy and action.”

 Rhys snorted, shaking his head. “Duly noted. Personally, I like drama and mystery movies. Musicals too, but that was probably obvious.” 

 Jack made his own mental note of Rhys’ favorite genres, filing them away for future use. Mystery movies were okay. The ones that had a little action in them, of course- the ones with a gun or two. But Jack would suffer through if Rhys wanted to watch it. Jack had never watched a _musical_ , however. He’d never been interested in those. But he’d be willing to watch them if Rhys wanted to.

 And that’s assuming Rhys even _wanted_ to go on a second date. 

 They rode in silence for a while, the only sound coming from the radio as it softly played a random tune. Rhys was tapping his fingers on his lap to the beat of the song. Neither spoke. 

 And it remained like that until they reached Rhys’ house. 

 Jack got out of his side of the truck and walked over to the other side, opening the door and letting Rhys out. Rhys smiled sheepishly as he stepped out. 

“Thank you for the ride and for… well, everything. I had a good time.” Rhys said, rubbing the back of his neck. He smiled at Jack- and _dammit_ , it was cute.

“My pleasure. But next time, _you_ get to pick the movie,” Jack cleared his throat. “I mean- if you wanna do this again, that is.” Rhys’ eyes widened, a hopeful look in his eyes as he stared at Jack. He quickly nodded at Jack, almost buzzing with excitement. 

“Yes!” Rhys exclaimed, his cheeks flushing. He ran a hand through his hair with a nervous smile. “I mean- yeah, that- that sounds good.” 

Jack chuckled, gaze searching Rhys’ face and landing on his lips, before flicking back up to his eyes- which were mismatched just like his own. Except where Jack had one blue and one green eye, Rhys had one brown eye and one eye that was blended into a mesmerizing swirl of light blue and golden brown. They stared at each other for a moment. neither speaking or moving- just staring. Jack could easily get lost in Rhys’ eyes- but he found his mind was preoccupied with something else. Jack’s eyes dropped back down to Rhys’ lips and he slowly and hesitantly brought a hand to Rhys’ cheek. Rhys didn’t move away at the touch or try to push him away so Jack took that as a good sign. He leaned in, meeting Rhys’ lips in a soft kiss. Rhys stayed still at first- not moving or doing anything really, but after a second he relaxed and returned the kiss, his hands coming to rest on Jack’s chest. 

 It was nice- Rhys was inexperienced, but it was sweet. Jack found it endearing. 

 Well, it was nice up until the light on Rhys’ front porch came on and scared Rhys, causing him to jump and bump his head, _hard_ , against Jack’s nose. 

 They both pulled away, Jack holding his now throbbing nose and hissing in pain, while Rhys stared at him with a mortified expression.

“ _Oh my god_ -“ Rhys mumbled, his face burning red and a hand shooting up to cover his mouth. “I’m so sorry- I- oh _god_.” 

 Rhys threw his head in is hands, avoiding looking at Jack. Jack, despite his throbbing nose, found it in him to laugh. He slowly brought his hand away from his nose- noticing there was no blood, which was good- and threw his head back, letting his body shake with laughter. That only seemed to mortify Rhys even more. 

“Rhys-“ Jack tried to speak between breaths, reaching out to grab Rhys only for him pull away. Jack furrowed his brows, a small smile still on his lips after the sudden fit of laughter “Rhys- it’s _fine_. I’m fine, see? No harm done.” 

 Rhys was apparently too embarrassed by what had happened though, and he continued backing away, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut. Jack rolled his eyes as he leaned forward and reached out for Rhys again, successfully grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Rhys let out a surprised yelp and his eyes shot open in surprise as Jack pulled him forward, and met his lips in another soft kiss. Jack smiled against Rhys’ lips, pulling away after only a moment. He was met the stare of a dazed Rhys, whose face was still burning red. 

“Sorry…” Rhys mumbled, but he finally released a small huff of a laugh. He stared down at Jack’s nose, biting his lip, before deciding to lean forward and place a quick peck on the tip of it. Jack grinned at the action.

“I should, ah…” Rhys glanced at his house, a frown appearing on his lips. “I should probably head inside.” He made no move to go inside, however. He stayed standing in front of Jack, his hands sprawled across Jack’s chest and Jack still holding onto the front of his shirt. 

 Jack finally decided to release his hold on Rhys’ shirt, reluctantly stepping away from him and stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants. Rhys frowned at the action, a sigh passing through his parted lips as he looked back at the house once more. 

 “See ya ‘round, cupcake.” Jack said with a grin. Rhys nodded and offered Jack a wave as he walked backwards towards his house. 

“Yeah, see you around!” Rhys called out as he reached his front door. He looked back at Jack one more time, grinning at him, before turning around and opening the door to his house, and disappearing inside. 

 Jack stared at the front door in thought for a moment longer, his hand slowly coming to touch his nose and lips. He smiled fondly at the memory of Rhys’ lips, and how even though Rhys had rammed his head against Jack’s nose, Jack still found himself drawn to him- found himself craving more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray to awkward first dates!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait for this chapter. A lot of stuff is going on in my life rn and I also just haven’t been happy with my writing lately. But I was able to finally finish this chapter! 
> 
> I also just wanted to thank you guys so much for the support with this fic. I didn’t expect anyone to read this tbh, so it means a lot to me that you guys actually enjoy this story so far. So thanks again for being so supportive and reading this silly au. You guys are awesome ❤️

  Rhys was greeted by his mom at the front door. She was smiling warmly at him as he shut the door behind him. He figured she must have been the one who turned on the porch light. 

 She nodded her head to the window next her, grinning.  

“He’s cute,” Was all she commented on. Rhys flushed and chuckled nervously, nodding his head in agreement. He scurried off to his room after that to avoid anymore awkward conversation. 

  He closed the room to his door, leaning against it with a smile. He slowly brought his hands to his lips and sighed. 

 He couldn’t wait to see Jack again. 

 

~

 

 Jack returned to his grandmother’s house that night in an overly giddy mood, earning a curious glance from Timothy when he walked into their room. 

“You sure are chipper tonight,” Timothy noted as Jack threw himself on his lower bunk.  “Date went well?”

 Jack sighed in ecstasy, his hands folded on his stomach and his eyes staring dreamily up at the bottom part of the bunk above him. 

“Date itself? Eh. Could’ve been better.  But Rhys?” Jack grinned to himself. “Well, Rhys is just _Rhys_.” 

 He heard Timothy laugh above him. 

“That’s fair… I guess.”

 There was a silence that followed after that, Jack just enjoying the aftermath of his date, his mind still swarming with thoughts of Rhys. He was like a drug- Jack got one taste, _one_ kiss, and he already wanted more. 

 He wondered if Rhys would acknowledge it come Monday. He wondered if he could kiss Rhys again- maybe on the cheek or on the forehead- if Rhys’ cheeks would turn pink. Wondered if he would become a flustered and babbling mess or if he would accept it and maybe return the favor. 

 Jack let his thoughts about Rhys wander until he forced them to stop- he blinked away the foolish thoughts, pushed away his feelings and bottled them up- no, it had been _one date. One_. It was too early to really tell if there was anything there. And it was too much- the new and foreign feelings and emotions, it was so sudden and jarring. It was such a new experience. He would let it play out, see what happened between them. But he wasn’t going to let the kid distract him- he had an image to keep up at school, anyway. Clinging to Rhys like a lovesick puppy would probably look bad. 

  So Jack forced himself to ignore the fluttering feeling in his chest as he rolled out of his bed and stretched. Timothy glanced at him, but didn’t say anything. 

 Jack continued to ignore the thoughts seeping through the cracks in the mental walls he’d put up- thoughts of Rhys’ soft lips against his, Rhys’ smooth face dusted with a light pink, his enthralling mismatched eyes as they stared into Jack’s own eyes- Jack inhaled sharply, exhaling a long breath as he grabbed an old shirt and boxers that had been disregarded on his bed. 

 He needed a shower. 

 A _really_ cold shower. 

 

~

 

Rhys waited outside in the cold, bouncing impatiently as waited for Jack. The cold November air nipped at his face, no doubt leaving a rosy tint to his cheeks and nose. He pouted as he pulled out his phone, checking the time for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. He was anxious to see Jack again. Their date had been… well, the movie was terrifying, but the kiss afterwards had been nice. 

_Really_ nice. 

 And Rhys couldn’t help but hope for more- he was anxious to see how Jack would react to seeing him again. Would it be any different? Rhys bit his lower lip, his head turning when he heard the familiar engine pulling in the driveway. He tried to hide his grin, but failed. He waved excitedly as Jack pulled up in front of him, letting Rhys get in the truck. 

 Once Rhys was situated in his seat, he finally turned to look at Jack, his mind playing many different scenarios. Jack leaning over and kissing him, taking his hand, smiling the same soft smile he had when he kissed Rhys. 

 Instead, what Rhys was greeted with was a an iced latte waving in his face. 

 Rhys blinked in confusion before he finally registered what was being offered, and took it slowly. Once he had taken the cup he was able to see Jack’s face- who was totally ignoring Rhys and staring straight ahead, not even offering a sideways _glance_. 

 Rhys opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it and looked out of his own window, a silent huff passing through his lips. 

 Two could play at that game.

 They stayed in an awkward and tense silence all the way to school. Rhys had heard Timothy squirming and clearing his throat uncomfortably in the back through the entire ride. He had been the first out of the truck once they arrived at the school, and Rhys and Jack were left to sit in a very uncomfortable silence. 

 Jack cleared his throat, but didn’t say anything. 

 Rhys took a long, loud sip from his latte, letting the _slurp_  fill the truck. 

 Rhys contemplated just getting out of the truck and leaving Jack alone- maybe just ignoring him for the rest of the day. Ignore the date, ignore _everything_. 

 But Rhys wasn’t going to let Jack go that easily. 

 “So you’re giving me the silent treatment now?” Rhys cut through the silence, taking another sip from his drink and letting the sound slice through the tension like a knife. He saw Jack wince from the corner of his eye. He moved his drink away, a bitter smile on his lips. He was just joking, but a part of him was genuinely worried. “Was the date really _that_ bad?”

 “No it’s not that-” Jack quickly exclaimed. He finally turned to look at Rhys- and his eyes held the same soft look they held after their kiss. Rhys’ heart damn near leapt out of his chest. But he kept his composure. 

 Jack sighed then- exasperated and he threw his head back against his seat. 

“God  _dammit_ I can’t do this.” Jack muttered, digging the heals of his hands into his eyes. Rhys furrowed his brow in confusion. But Jack quickly sat back up, an almost desperate look in his eyes. 

“Can I kiss you again?” Jack asked, his voice on edge. Rhys blinked in surprise, but quickly nodded his head. Then Jack’s lips were crushing against his in a desperate kiss, Jack’s hand grabbing the back of Rhys’ head as he pulled him closer. Rhys released a surprised sound, his eyes fluttering closed as he slowly wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck, careful not to dump his coffee all over him. 

 Jack pulled back after a moment, his breath ghosting over Rhys’ lips and making him want more. Jack cleared his throat, smiling as he ran his hands through Rhys’ hair. Rhys leaned his head into Jack’s touch, sighing contently. 

“Sorry for being an asshole it’s just…This is all new to me. These _feelings_ and all this shit,” Jack pushed Rhys’ hair back out of his face, tilting his head to the side. “Thought maybe I could tone down my school boy crush a little but you’re like a fucking _drug_.” 

 Rhys quirked an eyebrow up at that. 

 “So ignoring me was your plan,” Rhys chuckled when Jack’s own face flushed. “Great job with that, really. Seems to be going great for you.” 

 Jack rolled his eyes and pulled is hands away from Rhys’ hair.   

“Well you don’t have to be such a little shit about it.” 

They fell into a comfortable silence, a stark contrast to the tense silence they had shared earlier. Rhys finished his latte and they finally got out of the truck, after sharing one last kiss (which Jack had commented afterwards that Rhys tasted "so sweet" then snatched the empty coffee cup from him and shook it in front of him with a grin. That earned a small punch on Jack’s arm from Rhys.) They walked side-by-side fom the parking lot. Rhys could feel Jack nudging his own hand against Rhys' as they walked. Rhys gently nudged back with his hand, and Jack finally pulled Rhys' hand into his. They walked hand-in-hand the rest of the way to the school building.

 

~

 

 Rhys arrived to his normal spot at the lunch table and placed his lunch tray down before taking his seat. Jack immediately threw an arm across his shoulders and winked at him in greeting. Rhys couldn't hide his blush at the action, nor his grin. 

"So I take it the date went well?" Yvette asked with a raised eyebrow and a smug grin on her features. Rhys bit his lip, his attention moving to his lunch tray and he shrugged.  

“It went okay,” Rhys commented as he began eating his food, his grin never leaving his face. Jack leaned in closer to Rhys, watching intently as Rhys brought his fork to his mouth. 

“You gonna share?” Jack questioned. Rhys coughed, nearly choking on his food at the unexpected question. It was normal for Jack to take some of Rhys’ food, but it was usually when Rhys was done eating. He had never asked like that as Rhys ate.

 Or maybe it was just Rhys’ nerves on end- maybe he was just overthinking things.

 Rhys swallowed his food down and cleared his throat with a small nod. Jack grinned as he watched Rhys stab a strawberry, and slowly bring it up towards Jack. Jack opened his mouth, waiting for the food. Rhys hesitated for a moment (yeah, _that_ was new. He’d never _fed_ Jack before) then put the fork in Jack’s mouth. Jack didn’t even _blink_ as he bit down on the fork and pulled the strawberry into his mouth. He chewed with a grin and his eyes trained on Rhys the entire time.

 Rhys had to look away because it was too much. His stomach was fluttering and his face was hot and _god_ Jack _wassofuckinghot_ - 

“Gross, guys,” Vaughn interrupted Rhys’ thoughts. He waved his own fork in the air. “ _Some_  people are trying to eat here, you know.” 

Jack snorted (and it was _cute_ ). 

“Oh, can it Short Stuff. We _are_ eating.”

 Vaughn made a disgusted face. 

“Yeah, whatever _that_ was,” He used his fork to gesture between the two of them. “Was _not_ eating. That was definitely not proper dining etiquette.” 

Timothy snorted next to Rhys, a different sound from Jack’s. He tried to hide it with a cough. Rhys glared at him then at Vaughn. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a new voice. 

“And what do we have here?” A female voice asked, her voice dripping with a fake sweetness. Rhys turned his head to the side to see Moxxi striding up to their table. She was well known around the school, but no one called her by her _real_ name. She just went by Moxxi. She wore heavy makeup, her lipstick dark red almost like a cherry, and her eyeshadow dark to match. It contrasted nicely with her pale complexion. She had her eyes trained on Jack, not even acknowledging the rest of the table. She stopped at the curve of the circular table standing between Vaughn and Jack. Jack narrowed his eyes at her, but didn’t say anything.

“Heya, Handsome,” she greeted Jack. Rhys glanced at Jack for a reaction. His jaw was set tight and an obviously fake grin was plastered on his face. 

“Hi, Mox,” He returned the greeting with a similar false sweetness, but overly exaggerated. So it was _very_ obvious he didn’t want to see her. She grinned at the reaction and leaned in closer to him, her hands resting on the table. Her eyes finally looked around the table with a raised eyebrow. Her gaze stopped on Rhys and she offered him a sweet smile, before returning to Jack. 

“So this is the company you keep nowadays? Can’t say I’m surprised.” Jack’s eye twitched at that. Rhys immediately reached for Jack’s free hand that had been clenched on top of the table. He rested his hand on top of Jack’s and felt him relax. Moxxi’s eyes glanced down at the action but she didn’t say anything about it. 

“Is there something you need,  _sweetheart_?” Jack questioned, spitting out the nickname through clenched teeth. Moxxi didn’t even flinch. She leaned back and placed a hand on her hip. 

“Oh, nothing really. Just thought I’d check up on my old friend. You still picking up stray kittens off the street?” She glanced pointedly at Rhys. Rhys squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze, looking away from her and down at his lunch tray.  

Jack didn’t respond to that. Moxxi hummed as she moved around Jack and leaned down next to Rhys. 

“Watch yourself with this one, dollface,” Her voice was quiet, her face a bit too close to Rhys for his liking. “He tells you he wants you now, but once he’s bored of you, he’ll leave you on the side of the road for another stray.”

 With that she leaned away, looking around at the table one last time, before walking off. 

 They all sat in silence for a while. Rhys had suddenly lost his appetite. He stared down at his tray with his brow furrowed and his mind reeling. Surely Moxxi was just messing with him… right? She was just trying to scare him-

“Don’t listen to her _kitten_ ,” Jack mumbled to Rhys, pulling Rhys from his anxious thoughts. Rhys frowned at the new nickname. “She’s just trying to get in your head.”

 Rhys glanced at Jack, still frowning. 

“So did you and Moxxi…?” Rhys let the sentence trail off, watching for Jack’s reaction. Jack rolled his eyes. 

“We may have hooked up a few times junior year. But that was it,” Jack shrugged and offered Rhys a lazy grin. He still had his arm slung around Rhys’ shoulders, and suddenly it was so much heavier than before. Rhys felt sick- he felt like he was going to throw up. 

“Excuse me,” Rhys uttered as he shoved Jack’s arm away from his shoulder and quickly stood up. He walked away from the table, ignoring Jack’s concerned calling.  

 Rhys left the lunchroom and stormed into the bathroom, pacing in front of one of the bathroom mirrors. His breaths were short and quick, his heart racing just as fast. 

 God, he was an _idiot_. Jack didn’t _date_. Jack just wanted a quick fuck- and Rhys had the audacity to think they could have _something_. 

 The whole date- _everything_ \- it was probably just some ploy to get into Rhys’ pants. Rhys stopped in front of one of the mirrors, taking in his reflection. His face was red- and there were tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He blinked, wiping at his eyes. He felt so _dumb_  for falling for Jack’s stupid lies. And _God, why was he crying_? 

 “Rhys? Jesus, what’s wrong?” 

 Rhys closed his eyes and sighed because _of course_ Jack followed him. 

 Rhys felt Jack’s hand grab his shoulder, turning him around. He finally opened his eyes and looked at Jack, trying to make himself look as angry as he felt. Jack stared at him with concerned eyes, his hands moving to wipe away the tears on Rhys’ cheeks. 

“What’s wrong?” Jack asked again, his voice quiet and filled with concern. Rhys shook his head and looked away from him. Jack wasn’t having that, apparently, and grabbed Rhys’ chin, forcing him to look at him. “Is it Moxxi? Look, I promise you there’s nothing between her and me. We’re done, you’ve got nothing to worry about.“ he offered Rhys a small smile, but Rhys just shook his head. 

 “Do you actually _like_ me Jack?” Rhys asked. Jack blinked at him in confusion, opening his mouth to speak, but Rhys spoke before him. “Or are you just trying to sleep with me?” 

 Rhys’ self confidence was already pretty low. His anxiety (the same anxiety that prevented him from performing on stage) was bad enough- so yes, Moxxi’s words struck something within him. His thoughts were running wild, and he couldn’t find a reason why Jack would _legitimately_ like him. Rhys stared at Jack helplessly, still clinging to a small bit of hope that _maybe_ Jack did like him- but that little voice in the back of his head told him differently. 

 Jack stared down at him in obvious confusion.

“What are you _talking_ about? Of course I like you!” Jack held onto Rhys’ face, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles on Rhys’ cheeks. “Did that little exchange in the truck mean _nothing_ to you?” Jack had a playful smile on his lips, but his eyes were staring at Rhys with concern, darting all over Rhys’ face. Rhys released a small chuckle, closing his eyes and letting himself relax. So Rhys was just overreacting- that was good. That was okay. Rhys took in a few breaths, calming himself down. He held onto Jack’s hands with his own, keeping Jack’s hands in place on his cheeks. 

“I’m sorry…” Rhys mumbled, opening his eyes and meeting Jack’s stare. “I just… what Moxxi said, and your casualness about your past relationship with her- it made me think-“ 

Jack suddenly kissed Rhys, crushing his lips against Rhys’ and forcing Rhys to shut up. Rhys wasn’t complaining however, he returned the kiss happily. Jack pulled back and placed his forehead against Rhys’. 

“What me and Moxxi had- that was in the past. It’s _over_. And it was _nothing_ compared to this,” Jack grinned and finally pulled away, pulling his hands away from Rhys’ face. Rhys reluctantly let him move away, grinning like an idiot as he stared at Jack. 

“Now why don’t you wash that pretty little face of yours and we can get back to lunch?” Jack said calmly, reaching to grab Rhys’ arm and pulling him to one of the sinks. Rhys nodded and washed his face, happy that Jack was still there with him. Once he washed and dried his face, Jack immediately held his face again and grinned at him. 

“There’s my kitten,” He commented and quickly kissed Rhys one more time. Then they were walking, hand-in-hand back to the cafeteria, Rhys’ mood significantly better than before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ahem* please ignore that I wrote Jack calling Rhys “kitten” in an earlier chapter. I went back and fixed it lol.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna give a little shoutout to Carve_r for the idea of Torgue as gym coach. It was too perfect not to add. 
> 
> Also! I have a Twitter where I’ll be posting updates on this story so if you guys wanna follow me for updates or even just to chat with me my username is @elfmagee :D

 Jack and Rhys’ relationship was off to a rocky start. 

 With Jack’s dumbassness (he had quickly realized that ignoring Rhys had been a dumb idea. Not that he liked admitting it, though.) and Rhys’ apparent anxiety, things didn’t start off… great. 

  _But_ , they were able to work things out during those obstacles, so surely, Jack thought, if there were _anymore_ obstacles, they could work them out. 

 Jack almost laughed at the absurdity that they had technically been dating for _one day_ , and they had already ran into two difficulties. But not every relationship was perfect. Or at least, that’s what Jack tried to convince himself. 

 “So how’d your date with that kid go? What was his name again?” 

 Nisha interrupted Jack’s thoughts, bringing him back into reality. He watched as she flipped through the channels on her TV, registering her question. 

“Rhys,” Jack supplied for her, taking a sip from his nearly forgotten soda. “And the date was okay. Today however…” he let his sentence trail off as he took another sip of his drink. 

 Nisha stopped on a cooking channel, the dialogue on the show just background noise as she turned in her armchair to properly talk to Jack. She had one eyebrow raised, and a playful smile on her lips.

“What? Did he break up with you already?” 

 Jack rolled his eyes. 

“ _Haha_. No, he hasn’t,” Jack watched someone on the TV stir some mixture, suddenly he was hungry. “We just ran into some… problems today.” 

 “Aw, does he not wanna sleep with you?” 

 Jack choked on his drink, pulling the soda can away from his mouth and quickly placing it in the coffee table in front of him. He coughed a bit, wiping his mouth. 

“Jesus Christ, Nish,” Jack responded with a shake of his head, standing up to go to the bathroom and wash up. He had turned on the sink when she finally stopped laughing and responded. 

“What? Like _you_ want to be in a serious relationship. When was the last time _that_ happened?” She cackled a bit more. Jack sighed and dried his hands, emerging from the bathroom still holding the towel. He threw it at Nisha’s face, earning another laugh from her. 

 “ _Maybe_ I’m trying to branch out. Or maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” Jack said as he grabbed his soda again and took a large sip from it. 

Nisha pulled the towel from her face and grinned at Jack. 

“Uh-huh. I totally don’t know you _at all_ ,” It was Nisha’s turn to roll her eyes. She glanced over to Timothy who had been minding his own business the whole time, actually trying to watch the TV. “Can you believe your brother?” She commented. Tim glanced at her and shrugged then returned to watching the cooking channel. 

 Nisha stood up, towel on the back of her neck and her hands holding the ends of it as she approached Jack. 

“Don’t tell me you actually _like_ the guy?” She was teasing, but Jack still flushed. He turned his face away from her. He heard her laugh in disbelief. 

“Holy shit you _do_ like him,” Nisha poked Jack’s chest with her pointer finger, an accusing look on her face.

 Jack shoved her hand away, moving to sit back on the couch. First off- it had been a while since he had slept with _anyone_ , and he didn’t get with that many people. He had been with Moxxi, probably his longest lasting on and off “relationship”. One other girl he couldn’t remember the name of, and one guy that he’d prefer _not_ to remember- to be far, _that_ one had happened when he snuck into a club one weekend and got _very_ drunk. Moxxi had been pissed and it had been a whole ordeal. But it had been a while since those- after Moxxi he just gave up and decided not to bother anymore. Second off- was it really so weird for him to genuinely _like_ someone? Was it really such a shocker?

“Aw, c’mon Jack don’t be like that,” Nisha kicked at his leg with her foot, but he didn’t respond. “I just think it’s cute.” 

 Jack picked up his practically empty soda can and crushed it then threw it at Nisha, but she was able to dodge it easily. She stuck her tongue out at him and picked up the crushed can from the ground, walking over to the nearby trash can and throwing it away. 

“You’re no fun,” She commented as she dropped back down on her chair, her legs hanging over one armrest while she rested her back on the other one. The towel was still wrapped securely around her neck. 

“Well sorry for being such a party pooper,” Jack responded with a sigh. He glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was getting late. “Me and Tim should probably head home soon.” He exclaimed. Nisha hummed in response, her eyes now glued to the cooking channel as she watched the person shove a tray into an oven. 

 They stayed like that for another thirty minutes, silently watching the cooking channel, before Jack finally stood up and announced that they had to leave. Nisha offered him a lazy wave, but she looked at him with concern- her eyes asking a silent _are you sure_? Jack gave her a firm nod. They would be okay. They couldn’t hide forever. 

 Then they were out the door, and in Jack’s truck, begrudgingly heading back to dear old grandmother’s house. 

 

~

 

 

Rhys couldn’t say that he enjoyed gym class. As a matter of fact it was probably his least favorite class in the history of, well, _ever_. 

But that was where he was stuck, running laps outside in cold November air. But at least he had his buddy with him. And the coach was being as supportive as ever. 

“Are you boys a bunch of sissies? I could run this in my sleep! MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT!” Coach Torgue’s _loud_ voice called out from where he stood watching them all. A few boys picked up their speed, but Rhys and Vaughn stayed at the same pace. Rhys was already tired and he’d only ran _one_ lap. He really wasn’t fit for such activities. 

“So, bro,” Vaughn’s voice spoke up, he didn’t sound tired yet. Lucky him. “Are you okay?” 

Rhys furrowed his brow in confusion, and shrugged, breathing in a few times to catch his breath. “Well I’m a bit tired right now. You know I’m not much of a runner-“

“ _Not_  what I was asking about,” Vaugh interrupted, giving Rhys an unamused look. “I was referring to yesterday when you ran out of the lunchroom.” 

Rhys formed an “O” shape with his mouth, finally understanding the question. He hadn’t explained anything to the table when he and Jack returned. Apparently Vaughn had been really worried about him. That made Rhys feel good, knowing his best friend cared, but he didn’t want Vaughn to worry. Especially since Rhys’ freak out was just an overreaction. 

“We were really worried about you, dude. Even Tim was worried.” Vaughn continued speaking, his pace slowing down ever so slightly. Rhys shook his head and offered Vaughn a reassuring smile. 

“I’m fine. It was just a little freak out, you know how my brain is. But Jack calmed me down.” Rhys reassured Vaughn as they ran passed Coach Torgue. 

“C’mon boys! _RUN_!” 

 Coach Torgue called out to them, making Vaughn and Rhys pick up their pace. Rhys wheezed as they ran, his lungs hurting as he breathed in the cold air. Oh, how he hated gym. 

“Well… it’s good that Jack calmed you down. Was it… an attack?” Vaughn’s voice was quiet, his eyes shooting Rhys a worried look. Rhys nodded down at Vaughn, confirming his suspicion. 

Vaughn knew about Rhys’ anxiety- they had been friends since pre-k. Vaughn knew virtually _everything_ about Rhys and vice versa. And it was usually Vaughn who was calming Rhys down. But It had been a while since Rhys had freaked out like that. 

“So how’s the Christmas play coming along?” Vaughn changed the subject. Rhys was grateful for that. 

“It’s going well. We’re painting some sets today. Next week during break is tech week,” Rhys grinned, because he actually quite enjoyed tech week. It was hectic and it was always busy- but it was fun to finally see everything coming together.

Rhys took a moment to slow down, walking instead of running because he physically could not handle anymore running. His body was _literally_  incapable of it. Vaughn slowed down with him- though he didn’t seem tired _at all_. He seemed perfectly fine, not even sweating, meanwhile Rhys’ face was red and he was sweating- despite the cold weather. Rhys was only a little bit jealous of Vaughn’s physique.

“How the _hell_ are you not dying right now?” Rhys asked through his breaths. Vaughn chuckled.

“So you remember last year when my New Years resolution was to get in shape?” Rhys nodded. His own New Years resolution had been to expand on his sock collection- it was simple and achievable. “Well I started going to the gym, and at first it was like once a month. Then one day I just decided ‘I’m gonna go more often’ and boom- suddenly I was going once a week and my abs look _awesome_ , bro.”

 Rhys frowned. “Wait- So all those times you told me you couldn’t hang out because you were at the gym- you were being _serious_? Dude, I thought you were joking!” 

It was true, Rhys had thought Vaughn was just joking and just hadn’t wanted to hang out. He had laughed the first few times, then he thought the joke was getting old. Evidently Rhys had been _sadly_ mistaking. Vaughn laughed next to Rhys, shaking his head. 

“Oh god, dude, no! Every Saturday morning I’m there. You should come with me sometime, it’ll be fun!” 

 Rhys thought for a moment- actually considered it. Waking up early in the morning to go workout in a gym. On a _Saturday_. No thanks. 

“No offense, but thaaaaaaat doesn’t really sound ‘fun’ to me. _At all_.” Rhys made a face, which earned a laugh from Vaughn, and then their little moment was ruined by the booming voice of their coach. 

“You’ve got two laps left and you’re walking? _RUNNNNNNN_!” 

Rhys and Vaughn began running again, much to Rhys’ displeasure. 

“How’s Biology Two going for you?” Rhys questioned after a moment. Vaughn frowned at the mention of that class. 

“Could be better. I mean- I’m passing the class, but the other day Mr. Zed made us dissect frogs and I passed out.” 

 That made Rhys turn to his friend, his eyes filled with concern. 

“Dude, why are you only _just_ now telling me this? Are you okay?” 

 “I’m fine. It wasn’t anything major- I woke up like five minutes later. Mr. Zed kicked me out of the classroom and called me a ‘coward who can’t appreciate the wonders of life.’” Vaughn shuddered. “Whatever _that_ means. The frog was already _dead_ there was definitely no life there.” 

Rhys shared Vaughn’s discomfort- Mr. Zed has always unnerved him. He was the main reason Rhys didn’t take Biology 2. That and the fact that he didn’t want to sit through another Biology class. 

 Rhys and Vaughn finished up their laps, earning an excited fist bump from coach Torgue. Rhys wished he could get that hyped over any type of physical activity, but he decided to leave that to the coach. Rhys and Vaughn said their goodbyes after gym and headed to their separate classes. 

 

~

 

“You’re going to love it, I _promise_.” 

Jack stared at Rhys with an unsure glance, snatching a fry off of Rhys’ plate (it was nice to have something greasy for once, Rhys usually only ate salad or fruit. Not that Jack was _complaining_ , but it was a nice change.) 

“I dunno Rhysie. What if you decide to lead me somewhere desolate and _murder_ me, huh? I don’t like this secret stuff.” Jack stuffed the fry in his mouth and chewed with a grin. Rhys rolled his eyes. 

“You said that next time we go on a date, I get to choose!” Rhys brought up, raising his eyebrows up at Jack. Jack tsked. 

“Yeah, choose a _movie_.” Jack was enjoying teasing Rhys a bit too much. 

Rhys pouted at Jack, his lower lip jutting out and trembling with the practice of someone who _knows_ they’re goddamned cute and can get what they want with a face like that.  

“Don’t give me those eyes-“ Jack fake complained. Rhys huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Jack finally sighed with a grin. 

“ _Fine_. You win, we’ll go on this secret date.” 

 Rhys jumped up at that, grabbing Jack’s arm in excitement. 

“I promise it’ll be fun. Just be at my house at  10 am on Saturday.”

 Jack rolled his eyes playfully and moved the conversation to the rest of the table. They talked about their days, joked around, and laughed until the bell rang, and Jack kissed Rhys goodbye. 

 Jack suddenly found that he was much more excited for the week to be over.

 

~

 

 The rest of the week dragged on at a slow pace, almost agonizingly slow, but Thanksgiving break _finally_ came around and Jack found himself outside of Rhys’ house at 10:05 a.m. on Saturday morning. And Jack wasn’t stressing at all- because Timothy had actually gone over to a new friend’s house (Wilhelm, Jack recalled. Big guy. Apparently Timothy had Robotics with him and they had been paired up for a project to work on over break. Jack was just happy _he_ didn’t get any assignments over the break.) _and_ Jack was going on a date with Rhys. So all was good in the life of Jack. At least for the time being.

 Jack waited for Rhys to get in his truck, smiling in greeting. 

“What’s up, buttercup?” Jack greeted. Rhys cringed, but smiled regardless.

“Please _never_ say that again.” 

 Jack chuckled and leaned over to quickly kiss Rhys. 

“So what is this secret date? Where are we going?” Jack questioned as he pulled out of Rhys’ drive way. Rhys bit his lip and grinned. 

“We’re going to the bookstore!” 

 Jack frowned, glancing at Rhys with a look that said _you can’t be serious_. But Rhys was grinning from ear to ear, practically bouncing in his seat from excitement. Jack sighed. 

“The bookstore? What could _possibly_ be there that’s date worthy?” 

“See, that’s the point. We’re gonna make it into a date. It’s a good way to get to know each other more, see what we like,” Rhys stared at Jack, his grin slowly dropping. “I promise it will be fun. Next time you can choose the date, but please at least give this a chance?” 

Jack sighed again, but he was already on his way to the bookstore. He wasn’t going to back out now, not when Rhys looked so excited. 

 When they arrived at the bookstore, Rhys was practically running inside, dragging a grumbling Jack behind him. A bell above the door announced their arrival, and Jack was immediately hit with the smell of old books. 

“Alright, we’re here. Now what?” Jack asked, glancing around the store at the rows of bookshelves that lined the walls. Rhys glanced back at him and continued dragging him through the store. They stopped at a random section, then Rhys finally let Jack go. 

“Now we just have fun. We look at books. We talk about them- _oh_ , I have an idea!” Rhys stared at the rows of books, his fingers tracing the spines before he stopped at one and pulled it out. He held it up to Jack, cover facing him. The cover was a picture of a night sky, a single rose blooming from the ground. The title was _A Rose in the Night_. 

Jack found he immediately hated the book. 

“Let’s play a guessing game! What do you think this book is about, based on the cover and title?” Rhys questioned, holding the book closer to Jack. Jack raised and eyebrow.

“Uh. I think it’s about a rose. In the night.” Jack answered, earning a frown from Rhys. 

“ _No_ , Jack- give me details!” 

 Jack huffed in annoyance, staring down at the book and studying the cover. 

“Okay- fine. I think it’s some shitty romance novel where the main character is probably named Rose.” 

 Rhys offered Jack a small smile. 

“Better. And you’re close. It is a romance- but with vampires. It’s about a girl named Emilia who has red hair- ‘ _like a rose_.’” Rhys chuckled and showed Jack the back of the book with the description. Jack rolled his eyes, because he had been spot on with the “shitty romance” part. Rhys put the book back where it belonged then nudged Jack’s arm. 

“Your turn. Pick a book and I’ll guess this time.” 

 Jack stared at the shelves, not enjoying his options. He moved to another row, and Rhys followed close behind. Jack scanned the books, before coming across one titled _What Lives in the Shadows_. Jack smirked And picked that one, showing the dark cover to Rhys. The cover had a pair of yellow eyes leering from the darkness, the rest of its body blending in with the black cover. Rhys stared at the cover in thought. 

“Well it’s obviously a horror story- _maybe_ a mystery. Hm. Must be about some kind of monster that’s terrorizing a town or maybe a singular person. Or maybe it’s a metaphor for one person who’s fighting their inner demons?” Rhys was naming all sorts of possibilities. Jack finally stopped Rhys and handed him the book, letting him read the back. 

“It _is_ a horror story. It’s about these creatures that start appearing at night, snatching people up.” When Jack said the last part he walked behind Rhys, who was too busy reading the description on the book, and grabbed his waist. Rhys squealed, nearly dropping the book, but adjusted his grip before it fell. He turned around and playfully slapped Jack’s arm. Jack chuckled and then they put the book back and continued through the store. 

 They somehow ended up in the romance section, Jack grinning mischievously as he picked one book with an awfully suggestive cover. He flipped through it, reading random sections for fun. Just as he expected, it was cheesy and filled with cliches, and seemed like it was written by a twelve year old. He grabbed Rhys’ attention as he read one part. 

“Rhysie listen to _this_ load of crap,” Jack cleared his throat, and began reading with a high pitched voice to imitate a girl, “‘ _He stared at me with such intensity that I thought my head was going to explode. His emerald orbs found mine, and then he was leaning forward. My heart was beating so fast. He kissed me, but it was too much- I leaned away, pushing him from me. ‘Mike… we cant.’ And then I was running away._ ’” Jack finished up, scrunching his nose up in disgust. Rhys was laughing, hiding his giggles behind his hand. Jack put the book back with a roll of his eyes- he had never been fond of romance books. They always seemed so unrealistic. The two wandered off from that section and into another.

 Jack stared down at Rhys who was hunched over, reading what Jack assumed was a sci-fi book. They had walked to that section after the romance one, and it seemed to be the one that held both of their interest the longest. Jack let his curiosity get the best of him, and he leaned down and placed his chin on Rhys’ shoulder, staring down at the book. 

“Whatcha reading?” Jack questioned. Rhys glanced at Jack and smiled, flipping the book over so Jack could see he cover. The title was _Tales of the Vault Hunters_ and the background was a galaxy that had a dull looking planet in view, with a purple glowing mark peaking out from the bottom of the planet. Jack hummed in thought as he took in the cover. Rhys began explaining the plot of the book.

“It’s about these people called Vault Hunters, who go searching for Vaults filled with treasure and stuff on a planet called Pandora,” Rhys grinned excitedly down at the book. “It seems really interesting. I think I’m gonna buy it.” 

 Jack chuckled and pulled away from Rhys. 

“Mm does it have a good looking and charismatic antagonist? Those are the best kind.” Jack commented as he picked up a random book and flipped through it. Rhys snorted. 

“I don’t know if they’re good looking, but there is an antagonist who’s trying to get to the Vault before the Vault Hunters.” Rhys walked up to Jack, holding the book close to him. Jack put the book he had picked up down and glanced around the bookstore, and as of on cue, he heard Rhys’ stomach growl. He glanced down with a raised brow, then glanced back up at Rhys. 

“Hungry?” Jack questioned with an amused grin. Rhys smiled nervously. 

“Starving.” He responded. With their minds made up, they made their way to the check out and Rhys bought his book, then they got into Jack’s truck in search of somewhere to eat. 

 

~

 

“Wilhelm is the _worst_ project partner _ever_ ,” Timothy complained as he piled into Jack’s truck. “He doesn’t even _try_ to talk things through. He wants to do what he wants even if it’s stupid.” Jack laughed and shook his head. 

“ _I_ coulda told you that. He’s a stubborn asshole who doesn’t like to lose a fight.” 

Tim stared back at Jack incredulously. 

“Jack- fighting someone and working on a project with someone are two _completely different things_.”

“Actually, you see a person’s truest form when fighting them.” 

“And where’d you hear _that_?” 

“The internet.”

They continued their little banter all the way back to their grandmother’s house, only stopping to quietly go inside and into their room. Jack locked the bedroom door, and once he knew they were in the clear, they returned to their conversation. 

“So how’d your date with Rhys go?” Timothy asked as he plopped down on Jack’s bottom bunk. Jack sat down in the chair at the desk in the corner of the room, smiling over at Tim. 

“We went to the bookstore and we played this guessing game where we had to guess what a book was about based on the front cover.” Timothy grinned, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his head resting in his hands. 

“You loved it,” Timothy claimed, and Jack sighed, not even trying to hide his own grin. 

“Yeah. Yeah I did. But _only_ because Rhys seemed to be so excited by it,” Jack frowned then, remembering what Rhys had told him when he dropped him back at his house. “I won’t be able to see Rhys again this week. He’s gonna be at school all week working on the play and he said he’s got a friend in theatre that already offered him a ride.” 

“Is somebody _jealous_?” Timothy teased, and Jack gave him a death glare, throwing the nearest object- which happened to be a stress ball shaped like a soccer ball- at him. Timothy held his hands up to block it and the ball bounced off of him and onto the floor. He was laughing, and Jack began laughing too. He loved little moments like that. 

 Timothy spoke up again, once both of their laughter had died down. “Look, it’s  only a week. You’ll see him again once school starts back up.“ 

Jack sighed, standing up from the chair and stretching. “Yeah, you’re right,” Jack made his way to his bed, shoving Timothy lightly to push him away. “Now move. I’m tired.” 

 “Fine, fine, I’m going.” Timothy said as he stood up and gave Jack his bunk back. 

Jack laid down on his bed with a satisfied sigh. He heard Timothy climb up into his top bunk. 

“So what’s the plan for Thanksgiving Day? Are we going to Nisha’s?” Timothy questioned once he was comfortable in his own bed. 

“We can stop by there and see what’s up,” Jack yawned. It was early evening but a nap was calling his name. “Maybe she’ll have some food we can leech off of her.” 

 He heard Timothy chuckle, and then the sound of pages being flipped. Timothy was either working on homework or reading- both sounded unpleasant to Jack. So Jack closed his eyes and let the memories of his date with Rhys lull him to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the books mentioned are made up btw I know they’re super cheesy titles please have mercy on my uncreative mind


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo! First off- I want to apologize for my 3 month hiatus on this fic. Life got in the way and I’ve been so busy. But I finally took some time to finish this chapter. 
> 
> Second- I’m aware it’s only October and this chapter is Christmas themed. But I have a timeline for this fic and this is just the way it worked out. So enjoy some Christmas fluff for the spooky month!

 Thanksgiving break came and went by pretty quickly for Rhys. Most of his break was filled with working on the play, but he did have Thanksgiving Day off, and he had been able to spend a peaceful evening with his mother. 

 When Rhys got back to school that first week of December, they started with performances of the play (which had been A Christmas Carol. Rhys had really enjoyed getting to work on it). The play went well, and it had been a great start to the Christmas season. 

 It had also been Gaige’s first play to work on. During their tutoring sessions she had shown increasing interest with what Rhys did, and had asked him about working behind the scenes (expressing obvious interest in working with the tech.) She finally asked if she could try it, and the theater department gladly accepted her help. Rhys felt like a proud older brother as he watched her running around backstage, helping out where she could.

 After their last performance they had a little party and it had been fun, but _finally_ , theater had finished for the first semester and Rhys was able to relax. He still had exams to worry about, but the craziness of theater was over for the time being. 

 It had been a while since Rhys had been able to spend time with Jack- out of school, at least. They tried to hang out as much as they could at school, but Rhys had been so busy with the play, and studying for exams that they hadn’t had time for another date or any time for themselves, really. It was almost Christmas break, and Rhys was determined to spend some time with Jack.

 Which gave him a grand idea of inviting Jack over for a Christmas party. 

 Rhys stopped Jack outside of the cafeteria, smiling nervously at him in greeting. Jack smiled back and casually leaned against the lockers by him. 

“What’s up, kitten?” Jack questioned with one eyebrow quirked up in question. Rhys bit his lip and fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater. 

“I was just wondering if…” Rhys cleared his throat awkwardly before continuing, “If you’d like to come over to my house for a Christmas party? We have one every year on Christmas Eve- usually it’s just me, my mom, Vaughn and Yvette, but you and Tim are welcome to come. You can invite your friend Nisha too, if you’d like.” Rhys continued tugging at his sleeves and fiddling anxiously with his hands as he stared at Jack, waiting for an answer. He was anxious- was it too soon for something like that? Was it weird? Did Jack even _like_ Christmas parties? Or anything to do with Christmas for that matter? Rhys was unsure and this his anxiety was peaking. 

 That was until Jack placed a reassuring hand on Rhys’ shoulder, and offered him his all too sweet grin- then suddenly Rhys was feeling _much_ better. His nerves practically vanished with a simple smile. 

“I- _we_ , would love to go. Usually me and Timmy just hang out with Nish at her place so I think they’d like a change of scenery,” he winked, then looked away in thought for a moment, looking back at Rhys a curious glance. “Can Nisha bring her roommate too? If that’s fine with you.” 

 Rhys nodded with an excited grin. “Oh, definitely! The more the merrier.” He was suddenly buzzing with excitement. Jack grinned again and gave Rhys a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. 

“Alright then. We’ll be there,” Jack released Rhys’ shoulder and started walking towards the cafeteria. “Now let’s go get some lunch. I’m starving.” 

 

~

 

Rhys was anxious- he was fidgeting with everything and he felt like a big ball of nerves. His mom tried to calm him down, her hand raking through his slicked back hair and messing it up. 

“Everything’s going to be _fine_ , honey. Don’t worry about it.” She gave him a reassuring smile, and Rhys sighed. He messed with his hair, trying to return it to how he had it styled before, and his mother simply chuckled at his actions. He started anxiously pulling at his sleeves. He was wearing a white sweater over a red button up shirt. The sweater had red trim, with a red diamond pattern across the top. He tugged at the neck of it as he looked around the kitchen. 

Not but a minute later, the doorbell rang, and Rhys practically ran out of the kitchen and to the door. He was only _slightly_ let down when he opened the door and revealed Vaughn and Yvette instead of Jack. Apparently his disappointment had been evident. 

 “Nice to see you too,” Yvette commented with an amused smile as she and Vaughn walked into the house. Rhys blinked at them, his face flushing, and shut the door behind them before following his friends into the living room. 

 “Sorry- I’m just- anxious.” He explained as he watched Yvette plop down on the couch. Vaughn had made his way to the kitchen in search of a drink. 

 Yvette shook her head at Rhys. “You have _nothing_ to be nervous about. It’s just a party. The _same_ party you have for us every year. Jack is going to have a great time. Don’t worry about it.” She waved her hand dismissively and leaned back against the couch.

 Rhys let her words sink in, taking a few deep breaths and trying to calm himself down. She was right, of course, but he couldn’t help it. Just as he opened his mouth to say something in response to her, the doer bell rang again, and Rhys froze. Yvette stared at him- confused, then amused, and finally, annoyed- as the doorbell rang a second time. She raised a brow at him in complete and utter disbelief and gestured at the door.

“Go get the door, you _doofus_.” 

 That broke Rhys from whatever frozen state he had been in and he quickly scurried to the door and opened it. He was met with the welcoming grin of Jack- wearing a cheesy Christmas sweater and a Santa hat. He was holding one hand behind his back and suddenly shot one hand up above him, prompting Rhys to look up. Rhys immediately realized that Jack was holding mistletoe above them, shaking it to make sure that Rhys noticed. Rhys chuckled at the action, shaking his head and leaning forward to give Jack a quick peck on his lips. 

That made someone behind Jack gag. 

“Spare us the PDA, I _beg_ you.” Jack chuckled as a girl walked out from behind him. She had short brown hair and tan skin that stood out against the white of the falling snow behind her. Jack gestured to her and spoke up.

“This is-” He was suddenly pushed aside as the girl shoved passed him and up to Rhys. She grinned at Rhys, hands shoved in the pockets of her large coat. “I’m Nisha. You must be Rhys. Great to meet you and all that shit, but can we come in before we freeze?” 

 Rhys quickly moved out of the way and invited the group inside the much warmer house. Nisha was the first one in, followed by a girl with short blue hair who was being practically dragged by Nisha, then Timothy who mumbled a quick “Merry Christmas,” and finally Jack. Rhys closed the door behind all of them, afterwards turning around to face Jack and throwing his arms around his neck. Jack barely had enough time to register the hug before Rhys was pulling away.

 He bit his lower lip, looking up at Jack with a shy smile. “Glad you made it.” he spoke quietly so only Jack could hear him- not like anyone else cared. They were all preoccupied with greetings and pleasantries. 

 Jack smiled down at Rhys, lifting and hand to push a stray strand of hair from Rhys’ forehead. He responded, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, babe.” Then pulled Rhys in for a kiss. Rhys practically  _melted_.

Their sweet moment was interrupted, however, by Rhys’ mother approaching them. 

“This must be Jack!” She exclaimed a bit _too_ excitedly, causing Jack to pull away from Rhys. He offered a smile to her, a very light pink dusting his cheeks as he turned his attention from Rhys. 

“The one and only,” Jack responded with his signature grin, and held a hand out for her. She took it, and he shook her hand in a polite manner before releasing it. “It’s lovely to meet you, Ms. Strongfork. You’ve raised a truly amazing son.” Jack turned to Rhys and winked.

“Such a charmer,” She smiled excitedly at Rhys, offering him two thumbs up. “I like this one.” 

 She left them after that, asking if the needed anything and making sure that they were okay. Rhys only then noticed Jack was holding a flimsy looking object wrapped in Christmas themed wrapping paper. Rhys eyed it curiously as Jack suddenly held it out for him to take it.

“I got you a little Christmas present. I saw it and it made me think of you,” He shrugged, waiting for Rhys to take the present. Rhys slowly took the gift, smiling down at it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. His head shot up after a moment when a sudden memory hit him.

“I got you something too,” He said, grabbing Jack’s hand and walking towards the stairs. “It’s in my room. C’mon,” Rhys dragged Jack behind him, pulling him up the stairs and into his room. Jack didn’t protest, just allowed himself to be pulled. 

 

~

 

 Jack tried to take in everything that was in the house as Rhys dragged him- he wanted to see everything that made Rhys, well, _Rhys_. He got a quick glimpse of a photo going up the stairs- a very young Rhys missing a tooth from the middle of his wide smile, and his mom kneeling next to him, her arm wrapped around his shoulders and holding him close. They had the same hair color- but where Rhys’ hair was wavy, his mother’s hair was perfectly straight. She also had the same golden brown eye color- however she lacked the light blue swirl of color Rhys had in one eye. Aside from that, their similarities were almost scary. They both had soft features and pale complexions. Jack couldn’t help but smile at the photo, a warmth filling his chest as he looked back at the present Rhys. He didn’t have much time to think about much else before Rhys pulled him into a room and shut the door. 

 The room was about how Jack expected it to look like. The walls were dark blue, posters hanging on all the walls depicting different movies and games. There were a few posters of which Jack assumed were from broadway shows, that hung above Rhys’ bed. The bed itself had sheets that were striped with dark blue similar to the walls, and yellow. A yellow robot action figure was sitting on a desk near Jack, it’s legs long and it’s torso wide. It had a white stripe going across it and a singular red eye. It was stuck in a thumbs up pose. 

Rhys spoke up when he noticed what Jack was looking at.

“That’s Loaderbot,” he sounded excited, but when Jack turned to shoot him a curious glance, his expression changed to an embarrassed smile. He scratched the back of his neck and looked away. “I mean- it’s just a silly action figure.” 

 A chuckled escaped Jack’s lips as he picked up the little action figure and examined it. “Well, I think Loaderbot is pretty cool.” He looked back at Rhys and grinned at him as he placed the figure back down, right next to a box that was messily wrapped in snowflake themed wrapping paper. Jack pointed to it. 

“What’s that?” He questioned. Rhys walked up to him and picked up the box, holding it out for Jack to take, although with a bit of hesitation.

“It’s your present,” His voice wavered a bit, and his gaze was focusing on the box instead of Jack. Jack smiled and took the present. He shook it slightly and gently for any hint to what it might be. Rhys fidgeted awkwardly. “I’m sorry if it’s weird or anything I- I wasn’t sure what to get you but I thought maybe-“ 

 Jack interrupted his rambling by ripping open the wrapping paper, throwing the paper on the ground and pulling the box out. He looked up at Rhys, noticing Rhys was finally looking at him, a look of anticipation evident in his eyes. Jack opened the box, and inside, there was a miniature black truck, seemingly hand painted with stripes to match Jack’s truck- to match his _Angel_. Jack took the car out from the box, carefully, and held it in his hand, just admiring it. He absolutely _loved_ it. 

“I’m sorry it’s- it’s not perfect. I just knew you loved your truck, and I thought it would be cute, and _oh god_ it’s weird isn’t it-?”

Rhys was cut off by Jack kissing him, one hand on his cheek and the other holding the truck. He grinned when he pulled away, resting his forehead against Rhys’. 

“It’s _perfect_. Thank you, Rhys.”

The hand against Rhys’ cheek was removed, leaving a grinning Rhys in its place. Jack gestured to his unopened gift with that hand and said, “Now it’s your turn to open _your_ gift.” He crossed his arms across his chest, watching as Rhys ever so carefully unwrapped the gift- a stark contrast to Jack’s ripping. Once he took of the wrapping paper, he set it down on his bed, and gasped at the pair of cat socks staring up at him. Jack couldn’t help the swell of pride in his chest at that reaction. 

“Jack!” Rhys looked up from the socks and attacked Jack in a hug, which Jack gladly returned. “I love it!” 

Jack patted Rhys’ back, pulling away with a satisfied smirk. “I saw them in the store and immediately thought of you, kitten.” 

 They returned downstairs not too long later, with Rhys wearing his new socks, and Jack holding his truck figurine. Yvette shot them a curious glance, but said nothing. Nisha, however, threw an arm around Rhys’ shoulders and glanced up at Jack with false innocence. 

“And what were you two lovebirds up to?” She asked, a brow cocked up and a cheshire grin slowly forming on her lips.

 The question made Jack roll his eyes and shove her away from them. 

“None of your business,” Jack stuck his tongue out childishly at Nisha, who returned the action, before wandering away from them, probably in search of Maya or Timothy to mess with.

 Jack found a safe place to put his truck for the time being, and then he and Rhys returned to the party just in time for dinner. They sat next to each other at the dining table, everyone else filling in around them. The song _It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year_ could be heard playing softly from the living room as the group of friends began to dig in to the delicious arrangement of food in front of them. Jack couldn’t help the fuzzy and warm feeling that engulfed him- he had never really had such a big Christmas celebration. The music, the food, the atmosphere- it made him happy.

Happier than he had been in a long time. 

 When Rhys met Jack’s stare, a questioning look in his eyes and half of a roll stuffed in his mouth- Jack just gave him a goofy grin.

“Merry Christmas, pumpkin,” He said, grabbing Rhys’ hand under the table and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Rhys took a moment to chew and swallow his food, before he happily responded, “Merry Christmas, Jack.” 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to listen to Christmas music to get in the mood for this chapter. Now I’m ready to curl up by a fireplace and drink hot chocolate. 
> 
> Also, there’s more plot incoming- I swear this fic isn’t just 100% fluff. Just gotta get that build up.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: There’s mentions of/implied abuse towards the end of the chapter so read with caution.

 Back to School hit Rhys like a sack of bricks- Christmas break had been so nice, and he had had so much time to spend with Jack, the sudden reintroduction to work and class brought Rhys out of his daydream and back to the real world. His time with Jack was going to be limited again, but he could still enjoy the small times with him. For example- their rides to school where Jack would grab his hand and hold it while he drove. Little moments like that filled Rhys with so much joy it was almost unbearable. 

 

 And of course, with the return of school, meant the return of theater. Which Rhys was excited for, of course. There was still some down time until the next show, and it would be the last show of the year. A sad yet exciting thing. 

  Rhys was on his way to class, stopping only for a moment to get a book out of his locker, when he suddenly heard a female voice call out to him. 

“Rhys? Can I talk to you?”

 Rhys turned around and was greeted with Ms. Felicity, the theater director and his old English teacher. He had grown close to her over the years- she was just a nice person and such a caring teacher. The whole theater department loved her. Rhys greeted her with a smile, closing his locker and turning to face her better.

“Oh, hey Ms. Felicity. What do you need?” 

 Ms. Felicity returned Rhys’ smile, folding her hands in front of her. The halls were empty, the rest of the students had already made their way to their next class. 

“Have you thought about auditioning for the next show?” Her question took him off guard, causing him to blink in confusion, his brow furrowed as he registered her question. 

“Why do you ask, ma’am?” Rhys questioned, tilting his head to the side slightly. Ms. Felicity smiled sweetly at him. 

“It’s just- I’d hate to see such talent go to waste. You really are talented, Rhys. And it’s the final show of the year. It would be a wonderful way to end your senior year.” 

Rhys let her words sink in- thought over what she said for just a moment. She had been there his freshman year when he freaked out during his first play. She had been supportive, and she had commented a few times on his talent. But she knew about his stage fright. 

“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just…” Rhys sighed, running his hand through his hair. “My anxiety prevents me from being able to perform. And besides, there are plenty of other talented people in theater. I’m fine working backstage with the rest of the crew. They’re all so nice, and the actors are always nice- I’m happy the way things are already.” Rhys finished his spiel with a shrug. Ms. Felicity eyed him for a while, not saying anything response, until finally she sighed. 

“I understand that. Just… think about it, okay?” She said, offering Rhys one last warm smile, a comforting hand on his shoulder and a squeeze- then she was walking off, the click of her heels echoing through the empty hall. 

 The conversation with Ms. Felicity ran through his mind all day- the fact that she wanted him to audition filled him with pride and made him actually _consider_ it. On the one hand, auditioning couldn’t hurt. There was no guarantee he would even get a part. But on the other hand, the thought of being on stage and performing made his chest tighten and his heart race with anxiety. He hadn’t performed in years. There was a big possibility that he would mess it all up and ruin the whole show. And he didn’t want that. 

 But the thought stayed with him, the idea of auditioning and the pros and cons kept nagging at him, and evidently it was obvious. 

“You alright, cupcake? You seem preoccupied.” 

 Jack was leaning against the locker next to Rhys, a brow raised in question at him. Rhys shook his head and offered him a smile. 

“I’m fine. I… I’m just thinking about some stuff. That’s all.” 

With that he closed his locker and turned fully to Jack, reaching out to take his hand. Jack took it with one last curious glance at Rhys, and then they were walking down the hall. They hadn’t gotten far before they were interrupted by a voice.

 

~

 

_“JACK LAWRENCE!_ ” 

 Jack sighed at the sound of his name, his hand tightening around Rhys’ ever so slightly. He turned around with an exaggerated roll of his eyes because he knew that voice, and nothing good could possibly come out of the situation if  _she_ was involved. 

 When Jack turned around, his mouth open to ask what the _hell_ she wanted, he was immediately met with a fist to his face, colliding with his nose with a nasty crunch. 

 Jack immediately reeled back, exclaiming a loud, “ _SHIT_!” his hand leaving Rhys’ in favor of holding onto his throbbing nose. He pulled the hand away, noticing blood smeared on it. He cursed as he felt his eyes start to water, and he glared at his attacker through his tear-blurred vision. 

“What the _fuck_ was that for, Lilith?” Jack spoke, lifting his head up to stop the blood from pouring out. 

“For vandalizing my car you piece of _shit_. Don’t act like you don’t deserve that!” Lilith responded, preparing for another hit. Jack held out a hand to her, indicating for her to give him just _one fucking minute._

“What the hell are you taking about?” He questioned, finally moving his head down to look at her. He wiped a bit more blood from his nose, only flinching a little bit at the contact. He had been punched in the nose before- it wasn’t an uncommon feeling for him. But it sure as hell wasn't pleasant. He could feel Rhys’ concerned eyes on him but he ignored that for the time being.

 “Oh don’t play with me, Jack. I know it was you. You’ve had this thing against me since freshmen year you _asshole_.” Lilith threw her hand back for another punch, but this wasn’t Jack’s first fight. He was ready, grabbing her wrist mid-throw and glaring at her. She glared back with just as much venom, yanking her arm to free it, but Jack only tightened his grip on her wrist. By then, a pretty good crowd had gathered around them- some with phones out trying to record them. Jack paid them no mind. 

“I. Didn’t. _Fucking. Touch. Your car_.” Jack spoke through clenched teeth, blood getting in his mouth. But he didn’t care. The metallic taste of blood was an old friend to him. 

 Lilith pulled her arm once more, trying to pull it away again. Jack clenched his fist at his side, ready to throw a punch at her- break her own nose see how _she_ likes it- but he suddenly felt Rhys grab that hand. Jack blinked, loosening his grip on Lilith just enough for her to finally pull away. Jack turned to Rhys, finding his wide eyes staring directly at him and shaking his head. Jack felt his shoulders slump and his hands relax. He didn’t need to punch Lilith- it would only cause more trouble for him. 

“What? Not gonna hit me back?” Lilith mocked, but she was keeping her distance, holding her wrist as she glared at Jack. And Jack just might have punched her if Tassiter hadn’t showed up. 

“What is going on here?” Tassiter’s voice broke through the crowd, his figure pushing through the sea of students that had gathered around and stopping right in front of Jack, Lilith, and Rhys. He eyed the three of them, waiting for an answer. 

 Jack and Lilith spoke up at the same time. 

“She started it!” 

“He started it!” 

Jack glared at Lilith, ignoring Tassiter’s annoyed sigh. 

“All three of you, in my office. _Now_ ,” Tassiter demanded. Jack groaned in annoyance, but began making his way there along with Lilith. Only stopping when he realized Tassiter had said all three of them. Jack turned around to see Rhys staring at Tassiter with a confused look, his mouth hung open like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t get it out. Tassiter spoke again. “Did I _stutter_ , Mr. Strongfork?” 

 That made Rhys come out of his confused state and he was quickly scurrying away, head down and eyes cast on the ground. Jack offered his hand to him when he was close enough, and Rhys immediately took it. Jack gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and then they were on their way. 

 

~

 

“Now isn’t this a familiar sight,” Tassiter spoke, closing his office door behind him with a click and making careful strides to his desk. Lilith was slumped in the chair all the way on the right, Jack sat in the one all the way on the left, his nose crusted with blood and a swollen throbbing mess- and Rhys was between them. His leg was bobbing up and down with obvious nerves. Jack frowned at the sight but turned his attention to Tassiter, who was giving him a nasty glare. “I thought I made it very clear what would happen the last time you were here, _Mister Lawrence_.” 

 Jack was about to respond, his mouth open to say some half ass remark but was cut off when Tassiter’s glare moved to Rhys. Jack shot his own stare at Rhys- he looked terrified. Similar to the first time Jack met him. 

“And you, Mister Strongfork. I expected so much more. To think you’re strolling around with the likes of _him_ ,” Tassiter looked back at Jack and slammed his hands against the surface of his desk, making Rhys flinch. Rhys opened his mouth, stuttered for a moment, then quickly shut his mouth again. Lilith sighed and finally spoke up. 

“Just punish that asshole and get it over with. He’s the one that started it.” 

 That earned a scoff from Jack.

“Ex- _cuse_ me, Princess? I didn’t start _shit_.”

 “ _Bullshit_!”

Before they could start arguing, Tassiter shouted at them to shut up, holding the bridge of his nose as if a headache was starting to form. He heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back in his all too big chair. 

“Do any of you want to explain what happened? If not, that’s perfectly fine, I’ll expel  _all_ of you and call it a day.” 

Jack leaned forward and shook his head- not because _he_ didn’t want to get expelled- which he didn’t, of course- but because _Rhys_ didn’t deserve that.

“That’s not fair and you know it,” Jack spoke with a dangerous edge in his voice- a death glare directed right at Tassiter. He returned it with a tired blink. 

“Then tell me what the _hell_ happened-“ 

“It was me.”

It was spoken so quietly that Jack almost didn’t hear it at first. Three heads turned to Rhys simultaneously- all with a look of confusion and shock written on their faces. A synchronized “What?” From Jack and Lilith and then an interested, “Really?” came from Tassiter. 

Rhys sat in his chair, back straight, chest puffed out, and a determined expression. This time the statement was more confident.

“It was me. I vandalized her car.”

Jack stared at Rhys as if he had lost his mind. He hadn’t done it. Jack _knew_ Rhys didn’t do it- he didn’t even know Lilith. 

But he was taking the blame. 

Tassiter eyed Rhys for a while. Leaned back in his chair and just studied him. Lilith was as confused as Jack. But she stayed silent. Finally, Tassiter spoke again. 

“Are you _sure_ it was you, Rhys? What made you do such an… uncharacteristic thing?”

 Rhys only responded with a shrug. His lips were pursed and his chin was held up in defiance. He kept his eyes locked with Tassiter- as if asking him to _try_  and question him. 

 He was a completely different person than who walked through that door.

“I dunno. It seemed fun. So I did it.” 

It took Jack only a second to remember that Rhys _loved_ theater. And he was simply playing a part. He had slipped into character so easily even Jack almost believed him. All Jack could do was stare at Rhys in disbelief. 

 Rhys’ “confession” seemed to only confuse and anger Lilith. But she believed him. She looked ready to fight him then and there- and probably would have had Tassiter not been present.

“Well, Rhys… this is certainly a shock. I have to say I’m disappointed,” Tassiter shook his head and folded his hands over his desk, his attention focused on Rhys. He had practically forgotten about the other two delinquents in the room. “This can’t go unpunished, you know this, right?” 

 Rhys nodded confidently, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair. he had a small smirk on his features and he shrugged once again. 

“Fine. Punish me. Whatever,” He said, his stare never once leaving Tassiter. 

“I’m suspending you starting after today. _And_ you will help Miss Hawke,” He gestured go a fuming Lilith at that, “Clean her car. It seems only fair.” 

Rhys nodded in agreement and mumbled another, “whatever,” Then Tassiter’s attention was turned to Lilith. 

“And _you_ , have detention after school. Punching someone on a suspicion still violates the rules. And finally,” he looked at Jack with a look of interest. “Mister Lawrence, you’re free to go. Surprisingly. But it’s only a matter of time before you slip up.” 

 It took every ounce of willpower for Jack not to strangle the man then and there. Instead, Jack forced a grin, deciding to keep his mouth shut. 

 All three of them were dismissed after that, and as soon as they were out the door and far enough away from the office, Rhys’ act dropped with a single exhale. His shoulders dropped and he looked relieved if a little on edge. Jack watched him for a second, showing his hands into the pockets of his pants and stopping in the middle of the hall so they could talk. 

“Ya’know- you didn’t have to take the blame. You don’t deserve to be punished for that.” 

Rhys took in a deep breath, as if collecting himself, before he fully turned to Jack. 

“I know but- it was such a _rush_! And I didn’t want you to get I  trouble so I just- I did it. I took the blame, and everything is going to be fine,” another breath. Then a small smile began to form on his lips. “Let’s go to my house. You still need to clean up you’re bloody nose.” 

 Jack looked at him in confusion. Then he laughed and shook his head. 

“Vandalizing _and_ skipping school? Who are you and what have you done with Rhys?” 

 

~

 

“I’m guessing this isn’t the first time this has happened to you?” Rhys asked with a small smile as he attempted to wipe away some of the dried up blood. Jack chuckled- his eyes closed and his head throbbing with the promise of a migraine. They had in fact ended up going to Rhys’ house after that whole ordeal. His mom wasn’t home so it was just the two of them. They were sat on Rhys’ bed, a first aid kit opened and lying next to them while Rhys worked on Jack’s nose.

“And it probably won’t be the last time,” Jack responded with a sigh, flinching a bit when Rhys touched a particularly sore part. 

“What’s her deal with you, anyway?” Rhys stopped cleaning the blood for a second, causing Jack to peek one eye open. He was met with a curious look from the other male.

Jack took that as a chance to lean back on Rhys’ bed, getting more comfortable, before explaining. 

“I dunno, honestly. We used to fight a lot freshman year and she just assumes I hate her. And she’s not _wrong_ - bitch definitely rubs me the wrong way. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to _vandalize_ her fucking car- that’s ridiculous!” He shook his head, sitting back up. “She’s fucking insane. She probably just pissed someone off-  _OUCH-!_ ”

 At some point in the middle of his rambling, Rhys returned to cleaning off the blood on Jack’s face, accidentally pushing down on the sore nose harder than intended. Jack retracted, shooting a hand up to hold his nose as an automatic reaction. 

“Mother  _fuck_ -” Jack touched his nose gently, feeling a pang of guilt at Rhys’ wide eye reaction. 

“Shit- sorry, Jack I didn’t-“ Rhys’ words were cut off however when he looked at Jack’s now exposed arm- revealing the tail end of a bruise along the side of his arm. Jack quickly shoved his sleeve back down over the bruise, moving the arm away from his face. 

“What happened-?” Rhys attempted to ask.

“ _Nothing_ ,” was Jack’s curt response, his eyes looking away from Rhys and focusing on the corner of the room. He didn’t want Rhys to worry- he had already taken the blame to protect Jack and was helping him with his nose- Rhys didn’t need to deal with any more of Jack’s shit. Bringing his grandmother up would only make things worse. “It’s nothing, Rhys. I’m fine.” 

 The words were spoken harshly, in an attempt to detour Rhys from that conversation. However, Rhys seemed determined. He reached for Jack’s arm before Jack could react, and pulled the sleeve back to reveal the large bruise along the side of his arm.

 A deafening silence fell between them.

 For a long while Rhys just stared at the bruise. He lifted a finger from his other hand to trace the marking- a slow yet hesitant action. It took all of Jack’s willpower to not jerk his arm away. He watched as Rhys touched it then with the tips of his fingers, softly traced the length of Jack’s arm, as if he were unsure if it were real. The action sent a prickling feeling through Jack’s arm. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Rhys spoke up. 

“What happened?” It was spoken so softly-so quiet and filled with so much concern. 

“That… that’s a good question. And I… I’ll have an answer for it if you just give me a sec-“

“ _Jack_.”

 He said his name with such force that Jack immediately shut up. Rhys finally looked away from Jack’s arm and right into Jack’s eyes- he was so concerned, so worried. Jack had never seen him so serious before.

“I want the truth.” 

 The truth? The truth was that Jack’s grandma was a piece of shit who threw him on the ground and hit him when he _breathed_ wrong. The truth was that she beat him and slapped him and belittled him like he was some sort of _animal_. 

 The truth was that Jack was too much of a pussy to stand up for himself and he _hated_ himself for it. 

 And there was no way Jack was going to tell Rhys any of that. He couldn’t. He didn’t want to see the look of pity. He didn’t want to hear Rhys’ empty promises of “its okay, things will get better,” because things were _fine_ the way the were. Things were great when he wasn’t thinking about his bitch of a grandma. Things were great when he was with _Rhys_. When he was ignoring that part of his life. When he could forget and draw a firm line between helpless Jack and the Jack he _wanted_ to be. 

“I got into a fight the other day. It’s nothing big, I promise, babe.” 

So the truth for Rhys would be as vague as he could make it. Yes there was a fight. And that’s all Rhys needed to know. 

Rhys stared at him for a long while. Assessing that answer. It obviously didn’t sit well with him. 

“Then why didn’t you want to tell me?” 

 Jack stared at his own arm, at the bruise that mocked him and his frail self who could win a fight with anyone at school but couldn’t stand up to a fucking old lady. 

“I didn’t want you to worry about me. Like you’re doing right now,” Jack looked up at Rhys and gave him the biggest grin he could muster. It was just a mask, though. A fake smile to hide his insecurities and his pain. But a fake smile that made Rhys legitimately smile in return. Jack would wear a hundred masks if it meant he could see that smile. 

Rhys smiled at him and shook his head, his hand that had traced the bruise had moved to Jack’s own hand. Their intertwined hands were held between them, Jack’s nose still throbbing ever so slightly but all pain was forgotten when Rhys leaned forward and offered a very quick kiss on Jack’s lips. 

“I’m sorry I worry about you,” Rhys joked. Jack snorted in response and leaned away.

“Well start worrying about this nose again. It’s not gonna fix itself, pumpkin.” 

 And like that, whatever tension had filled the room before vanished like a puff of smoke. And Jack was able to keep up his facade for just a little longer. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop this chapter is everywhere.
> 
> Anyway. I hope you guys are enjoying these boys and seeing their relationship grow. I love them :’)


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